#he just started the third verse and was like wait that’s not it. and then someone from the audience helped him out
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svt-luna · 3 days ago
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i NEED Luna’s clap back ig post to this https://www.tumblr.com/svt-luna/788134526458249216/its-my-birthday-and-i-need-drama-can-i-request
i need it like… YESTERDAY! (i also need it to be the most savage ig clap back your beautiful brain can come up with 🫡)
ʚིᵋ ⋆ INSTAGRAM UPDATE ࣪ ! ˓ ౨ৎ ࣪˖ ─── 250705: Clapback
here ya go, my love!! JeongNa is stronger than ever 🤭💞
╰ ౨ৎ 250704: Soompi Article
╰ ౨ৎ LUNA-VERSE MASTERLIST ╰౨ৎ luna's instagram
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Liked by jeonghaniyoo_n, sound_of_coups, pledis_boos and 9,872,672 others
lunabae still his lockscreen, thanks for asking ;)
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svtforever17_ THIS IS THE MOST DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS, FLAVORFUL F*CK YOU TO A RUMOR I’VE EVER SEEN.
↳ hoshistiger she fed us and dragged them in the same breath omg
yoonsoulmatez JeongNa together are terrifying like?? they are never predictable and always 3 steps ahead.
↳ lunalinesonly i fear them… respectfully
jihanchewystudio she said “let me walk you through our relationship”
officiallysebongs they’re literally soulmates building legos and laughing at us
caratrosegold Jiyeon’s love language is shutting down rumors with high-res pics and a passive-aggressive caption. queen.
svtsoftieera she’s the final boss of Instagram clapbacks
choiheartclub LUNA PLEASEEE 🤣🤣🤣
cloudykpopera she wrapped it up with a jeonghan meme and skipped away … I CANNOT WITH HER
↳ jeongnasince2019 the fact that he probably picked the meme himself 😭😭
caratroachcult no bc this is why no one should EVER mess with JeongNa. they don’t fight back—they embarrass you.
lunaringbling imagine starting a breakup rumor and she replies with a slideshow of her being kissed, hugged, LOVED, ENGAGED 😭
↳ unit17 she said “Exhibit A to Z. Thank you.”
jeonghaniyoo_n They’re writing fanfiction about us again.
liked by creator
↳ deluluforcoups HE KNOWS. EVERYBODY HIDE.
↳ junnielover delete the docs. delete the ao3. it’s OVER.
↳ caratdeluxefiles YOON JEONGHAN. SAID. FANFICTION. I’M NOT OKAY.
↳ dksoftcoreunit this is what public humiliation feels like huh
↳ vernonvibezonly logged in just to read us for filth
jeongnadaily jeongna are so unserious and chaotic i love them sm pls never change 😭😭😭
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Liked by lunabae, sound_of_coups, pledis_boos, and 9,652,762 others
jeonghaniyoo_n she’s still wearing the ring. she’s still mad i used her toothbrush. still kissed me though 🤷‍♀️
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svtdoesdamage i simply cannot with them anymore 😀
↳ cheolscaretface they are so unserious it’s spiritual
minghaoslover this is why rumors don’t survive with them. too chaotic.
vernonvibes14 “used her toothbrush” is the most jeonghan strategy ever
↳ scoupsandco it’s how he marks his territory 😭
missbitch someone take their phones
legodatecentral “she’s still mad” had me giggling and kicking my feet
chaoticcarat14 so we went from “are they broken up?” to “he used her toothbrush and lived to tell it”
↳ pledissurvivorfiles nothing is ever peaceful in this fandom 😭
unit17 Translation of Luna’s text: From - ‘My Pretty Moon🌙’ “I left you a sticky note on the fridge. It says ‘I love you’ but also ‘DO NOT eat my pudding or I will bite you.” 🥹🥹🥹
↳ jeonghanscasualties he probably ate it anyway. and filmed her reaction.
↳ moonlightbae this is why they can’t be broken up. they’re busy doing this
ashonashonash THEY ARE SO FCKING DOMESTIC AND CUTE AND FLUFFYYYYYWBISHSUSHUSNS 😫
jeongnadaily Jeonghan casually soft-launching Jiyeon being spoiled AND supervised by him 🤭
↳ gyucheoliee i would give up oxygen to be her right now
jxjforever THE MATCHING LEGO KEYCHAIN ON THEIR BELT LOOP FROM NANA TOUR 😭😭😭
↳ sebongiess i remember them sneaking out their boarding gate to buy them with their cards they weren’t supposed to bring 🫡
lunaslocket The third picture is giving: “I got her everything, now I watch” energy
baebaeby luna in full spoiled princess mode and jeonghan just watching 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️
↳ ot14forlife he was probably like “wait lemme add my leg so they KNOW”
lunabae 🤭
↳ jeonghaniyoo_n I ate your pudding 🏃
↳ jeonghanscasualties I FUCKING KNEW IT
↳ mrandmrsyoon they are actually deranged. i love them so much 🥹💞
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ೃ⁀➷ comment or message me to be added to the tag list :)
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ SUBMIT A REQUEST AND ASK ME ANYTHING!
: ̗̀➛ requests are always open ♡ - selఌ
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Taglist: @zhqvie @minminghao @angie-x3 @jennwonwoo @k13endall @heeseungthel0ml @chisskaa @megumi2020 @yoonzzziino @lllucere @smh-anon @yveclipse @randomworker @bunnystrm @iamawkwardandshy @gratefulbunny1 @bmo-bri @syren-ash @megseungmin @multiplums @unlikelysublimekryptonite @night-storm7 @cookiearmy @seokqt @btskzfav @billboard-singer @junhuisworld @caturdayvibe @coralbatlampzonk @sof1eya @lyraea @jihoonsbbygirl @cocopuff2424 @okoknotco @minvxq @soulphoenix1618 @whineywheeiny @rairaine @toplinehyunjin @ateez-atiny380 @cherrylovescheol @jiimtaee @blurr3db3rry @seomisaho @amanda08319 @peanutbutterslothsstuff @cheolsboo @allthings-fandoms @mystic-megumi @sherlockbye @tastyluvr @luperque @reignofraine @kpoplover-19 @star2013 @frankenstein852 @axleighkaize @jmkookie01 @shhh94 @gigglensnort @stupendouscookiehumanmug
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geddyqueer · 18 hours ago
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Sentences Sunday
i think i've been tagged by @setmeatopthepyre @apollabarnes @emphasisonthehomo @adiprose and @rcmclachlan this week. throwing tags back out to @ambernotember and @newtkelly and @screamlet if they want them! and tagging @dharmaavocado for reasons. here's more of the thing i've alternately been calling "tommy's nothing" and "funeral fic", titled This be the verse:
He makes it outside and the air immediately thins. There's no one yelling, out here, no baby crying, just the sound of someone running an electric leaf-blower a block or two away.
Tommy's nowhere to be found.
The truck is still parked on the curb, sandwiched between Fish's Hyundai and one of the great-uncles' Buicks. Buck calls him and it goes straight to voicemail. Phone must be off. He doesn't have anyone's number inside, and he doesn't want to risk the fight spilling out here anyway. He's half a second from calling Maddie and asking if she can reverse-911 a phone that's off before he comes to his senses and lets himself relax.
Half the houses on this street have been torn down, new lot-fillers replacing them, extending their boundaries from one retaining wall to the next. New families must have moved in over the past couple of decades. In front of the house across the street an elementary schooler sits on her front porch, scrolling on an iPad. Buck imagines Tommy at that age. He conjures up an image of him, collected together from the pictures in Donna's house. Nine year old Tommy holding a toddler-aged Jackie in his arms, staring down at her with a sweet gentle look of awe. Twelve year old Tommy and third-grader Beth sitting back to back on the couch reading their books: Goosebumps for him, Saddle Club for her. There weren't any pictures of Tommy on any of the walls of this house, on this street. That Tommy's been wiped from physical memory.
Tommy liked being outside, Donna had said. Always in his own little world. Dreaming of something bigger, she'd theorized, but maybe he was just trying to survive the only way he could.
To his right Buck can see the mountains peeking up over a new construction, and so he heads up the sidewalk toward them, trying to channel the Tommy that lived here as he walks.
Three blocks later he's starting to doubt himself when he sees it: a little neighborhood park, a baseball field and a chain-link fence, palms and oaks and a tall hedge made up of something scrubby, a swing set and monkey bars and a spinny wheel and a few sets of picnic tables and there off to the side in the dirt behind a park bench a figure in a dark suit is huddled in the dirt.
Buck approaches slowly, like Tommy's one of the dogs at the shelter on fire, but even as he snaps a twig under his foot Tommy doesn't look up. He moves around so the sun is at his back, and he waits, and finally Tommy lifts his head and blinks up at him, red-eyed exhaustion written all over his face.
"Hey," Buck says.
"Hey," Tommy says. "Found me."
"I figured you couldn't have made it that far if you weren't flying," Buck says, and Tommy just nods.
"They still yelling?"
"Yeah, Jackie was threatening to kneecap your great-uncle Pete when I left," Buck says.
Tommy snorts. "That's good. Glad everyone's enduring memory of me is going to be the fact that I ruined Dad's funeral by holding a baby."
"If that's what it takes to ruin it, it wasn't much of a funeral to begin with." Buck squats down so he can rest his hand on Tommy's shoulder. There's a bunch of dirt stuck to his suit pants and Buck starts to pick the pieces off one by one. "I'm sorry. That was a fucked up thing for your mom to say."
"Yeah," Tommy says. He bites his lip and sniffs and brings his sleeve to his face. "Fuck."
Buck doesn't say anything. There's nothing to say. There's no one else here to feel the July sun beating down on them, to witness Buck curling around Tommy like a guard dog.
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lovely-v · 11 months ago
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Every time I hear Up The Wolves by the Mountain Goats now I think of when I saw them live a few weeks ago and when they did this song John Darnielle forgot the start of the second verse (“there’s gonna come a day when you feel better”) and no hate to him obviously he’s got a huge catalog of songs it does not reflect on his overall immense talent that he forgot the words to one of them once but I did find it hilarious in the moment because like. Ok. I guess there is NOT gonna come a day when you feel better
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gutsby · 1 year ago
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Ruined!
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Pairing: dbf!Joel x Reader
Summary: Joel is an old man who struggles to cum sometimes. You’ve got time to kill and a tight hole to fill.
Warnings: 18+. Peepaw brainrot + a dash of anorgasmia. Unprotected p-in-v, cockwarming, age gap, daddy kink.
Note: Finals are whooping my ass left & right. This is a quickie.
Word count: 1.2k | Part of the Waiting Game ‘verse
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Surely he was hurting you now.
Joel Miller had a kink for many, many fun activities, but splitting a sweet young thing like you over his cock to the point you were almost in tears was just not one of them.
At the same time your poor, surely-bruised walls pulsed around his hardened length, he felt a pang of guilt. His balls were pressed against your ass like two lead weights, soaked with the remains of your third release, and his mind was at war with itself—keep fucking you like this? Pull out and offer his sincerest apologies for not being able to cum? A boy your age would’ve never had you waiting around like that, aching around his cock, much less begging for something as simple as a cumshot.
He decided to go straight to the source. Leaning over your prone body on the bed before him, he was careful not to rut his hips or jostle his dick around too much.
Joel pressed a hot, stubbled kiss to your cheek, then:
“‘S’it too much, baby? She need a break, maybe?”
Joel thumbed at that space where your body ended and his began and nearly lost his mind to the pearly-white slick that had accumulated with time. Two hours time, he had to remind himself while you moaned and writhed and bucked your ass back. Your cunt was choking him.
Crying, too.
Your eyes flew open the moment his words reached you.
“You kiddin’ me, Miller?! I could do this shit all day.”
Sometimes Joel forgot you were only in your twenties. Really, the thought only occasionally crossed his mind in moments like these—or when your father, his best friend, happened to bring you up—but when it did, it hit him hard. You were young. Lively. Surely far too spry and full of life to be messing around with a man as old as him.
Joel’s guilt ran almost commensurate with his pleasure when he felt you anchor your feet on the bed and start to fuck yourself back and forth over his still-throbbing dick.
Almost.
He planted a hand beside your head and grinned. He let you fuck him. Felt you pull off, crawl up the bed a little, then beckon him back to your body, where your ass was now pointing up and your back was arched in invitation.
Almost.
“You know I can’t sleep without your cum inside me.”
And you made a point to spread your knees and look behind you with a smile as sweet as Milo’s tea, fingers drumming a beat against the bedspread in anticipation.
“You do wanna fill me up, don’t you, daddy?” you teased.
Yeah, no. The guilt was gone. Joel could worry about being a depraved old man when he was done cumming.
Then he was back inside you, driving his hips until every last inch of him was wrapped snug within your wet and velvety embrace, and he sighed. A real protracted one, like the kind he was liable to exhale after climbing two flights of stairs, or else just hoisting himself off the sofa. Or lifting you in his arms and fucking you hard against the hood of his Bronco. Any time. Any place. You were kind enough to oblige him with the best cardio of his life, so the least Joel could do now was make you cum again.
He snatched your hands up in one of his own and placed your wrists at the base of your spine. With his other, free set of fingers he took to rubbing your clit gently.
“SON OF A—”
“—good girl.”
You let out a bloodcurdling scream into your pillow and secretly hoped this man’s dick would never deflate again. Not with the way he was sawing his thing back and forth and dragging you to the edge, circling your clit like you were the single most precious thing in the world to him.
“Oh, sweet pea, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Like he could feel the tears staining the cushion himself.
“Mmrooonme,” you cried into it, voice garbled by cotton.
“What’s’at, honey? Can’t hear ya.”
Joel then bent at the waist, pretending to be leaning in to hear you better, when really he knew he’d be digging in your guts with that big, bulbous head of his and making you squeal again. Hands still held captive behind you, you inched your chin back on the pillow so your moans could be heard even louder while Joel sped up.
“You— ruined me,” you repeated. Now clear as ever.
Joel tried to hide his smile and glanced down between your body and his. Then, while his ring finger joined the other two to make their tight, light circles, he returned,
“Ruined? Pussy feels just fine t’me.”
You’d kill him if he wasn’t so good at this. You turned your head more to meet his eyes from the corner of yours.
“No. Ruined me. For anyone else.”
Probably forever.
“Good.”
You knew he liked it that way.
You saw it in his eyes. Felt it in his touch. The hefty, broad, and greying Joel Miller had been loafing around on this earth long enough to know how to claim what was his. When his hips knocked yours to lay you flat on the bed, you already knew what was coming next.
First, his arms came to rest on either side of your body.
“Shit,” you whimpered.
Next, his lips went trailing down to your ear.
“Just a little more, sugar—that’s it,” he murmured while his hips sank in, and you felt that big, delicious stretch.
Then he released your hands so they were free to squeeze the sheets, and when they did, his moved over them—lacing his fingers through your own—and his lips pressed a kiss to your jaw. He held you in a tender grasp. His breath was hot on your neck, and the whole of his body was blanketing yours. Joel knew you liked it like that, which is why he made sure not to leave an inch of space in between. He was grunting, rutting, holding you close while his cock drilled a maddening pace inside you.
“You ruined me too, y’know,” he mumbled into your skin.
His nose was flush with the side of your cheek, nudging inward. Begging you to turn your head just a little more so he could kiss you. Weak as you were, you obliged.
And you moaned against that grey, stubbled chin of his when the thrusts above you had your cunt grinding the bed, rubbing that soft and helpless nub on the sheets.
“C’mon— let daddy have it,” he growled, “Let daddy have it and make it his, huh? That okay by you, baby?”
It was.
More than okay, as confirmed by the orgasm that tore through your body moments later while your teeth sank into the flesh of Joel’s lower lip and your cunt clenched and soaked over him whole. Joel wedged his tongue in your mouth and fucked you through it. His broad and callused hands were like iron around your own, holding you tight and keeping you still amidst a maelstrom of pleasure that combed over your every last nerve.
He licked into your mouth. Licked over it. Took the sick and distinct pleasure of knowing no one but him got to see you like this, with your jaw hanging slack and your eyes rolling back and your whines repeating quietly, ‘Daddydaddypleasedaddyfuckohfuckdontstop.’
Maybe ruined wasn’t such a bad thing to be at all.
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synity · 1 month ago
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Please write producer!woozi x reader just anything about it I BADLY NEED WOOZI FICS
White Noises
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(Lee Jihoon x FemReader)
*slice of life, angst, heavy angst, Emotional manipulation, gaslighting, emotional neglect*
You loved him. You loved him.
And that made it worse.
Because Jihoon wasn’t cruel. He wasn’t neglectful by intention. He didn’t forget anniversaries or raise his voice or flirt with anyone else. He was consistent, gentle even in his silence. And he loved his music the kind of love that burned so bright, it left little space for shadows like you.
He used to invite you in into his studio, his world, his chaos. You’d curl on his small couch, chin on your knees, while he played melodies he wasn’t confident about yet. “It’s not good,” he’d mutter, scratching his neck, but you’d shake your head and smile, hearing what he couldn’t.
Now?
Now he shut the door.
Now, you only saw him in passing hunched over his monitors, headphones on, eyes distant even when you waved from the hallway. A ghost lingering in the home you once shared.
And the hardest part?
You didn’t know when it started.
Maybe it was after that third comeback. Maybe it was the constant pressure to outdo himself. Maybe he just assumed you’d always be there, waiting quietly like a favorite verse in a song he hadn’t played in a while.
Maybe… you’d let yourself disappear for him.
The dinner table sat for two. It had been sitting for two for the past five nights.
You brought him food warm at first, lukewarm by the time he remembered, untouched when he didn’t.
There was a note scribbled on a napkin in front of his untouched soup.
“I don’t want to eat alone anymore.”
You crumpled it before he could see. Threw it in the trash.
Maybe you were being dramatic. Maybe he was just stressed. Maybe this was what loving someone brilliant looked like loving them from a distance, understanding their silence, waiting for slivers of time like gifts.
But love wasn’t supposed to feel like this.
You missed the version of Jihoon who tugged you by the wrist to slow dance with him at 2 a.m. in the kitchen. Who whispered lyrics into your hair as you fell asleep. Who wrote your name in the corner of sheet music like a secret.
Now? He was just… tired.
And you were tired too.
But not from work. From waiting.
That weekend, you packed an overnight bag and left.
No dramatic note. No angry voicemail. Just a message:
“Going to stay with a friend. I need some air.”
You didn’t expect him to reply immediately. He didn’t.
You didn’t expect him to chase after you. He didn’t.
Three days passed.
You checked your phone, irrationally hoping he’d say something.
But silence.
On the fourth day, you came back. The apartment smelled the same like jasmine candles and dust and silence. His shoes were at the door. His hoodie still draped over the couch, the one you used to wear.
You walked into the kitchen and paused.
The soup was gone. Plate washed. Counter wiped.
But the emptiness was still there, humming like feedback static through every room.
That night, he came out of the studio.
It was late. You were curled on the couch in your hoodie, scrolling aimlessly, not expecting him to say anything.
But he stood there.
Still in that same black shirt, sleeves rolled, a pencil tucked behind his ear. Tired. Pale. Beautiful in a way that made your chest ache.
“You left,” he said simply.
You didn’t look at him. “Yeah.”
Silence.
Then, “Why?”
You almost laughed.
Instead, you met his eyes. “Because I was tired of feeling like a stranger in my own relationship.”
His jaw tightened.
“You’ve been busy. I know that. But there’s a difference between being busy and being absent, Jihoon.”
He shifted, guilt flickering in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.”
That’s what made it worse.
He walked forward, but not close enough. “I thought you understood…”
“I do,” you whispered. “That’s the problem. I understand everything your dreams, your ambition, your pressure. But who’s understanding me?”
The silence that followed wasn’t sharp. It was hollow. Defeated.
You stood up. “I’m not asking for grand gestures. I just wanted to matter.”
“You do.”
“Then show me. Not in words, Jihoon. In presence.”
You walked past him.
This time, he didn’t stop you.
That night, you slept in the guest room.
No tears. Just silence.
And a pillow that didn’t smell like him.
In the days that followed, you danced around each other. Polite. Distant. Like roommates rather than lovers.
He left coffee on your side of the table again. You didn’t touch it.
You folded his laundry. He left his charger on your nightstand.
Small things. Habits pretending to be affection.
But no late-night hugs. No forehead kisses. No lyrics murmured into your hair.
You sat on the balcony one night, knees to your chest, watching the city breathe beneath the stars.
You didn’t hear him until he was behind you.
“I wrote something,” he said softly.
You turned.
He held out a notebook. Pages dog-eared. Lyrics scribbled messily. Your name on the first line.
“I didn’t know how else to say it,” he confessed. “So I wrote.”
You didn’t take it.
Instead, you asked, “Do you love me, or do you just love writing about me?”
He froze.
You stood, brushing past him. “Words are easy. Presence is hard. And you haven’t really been here in months.”
For once, Jihoon had nothing to say.
You walked away again.
And this time, he let you go.
The kitchen lights were harsh tonight, humming against the tiles like a second heartbeat. You stirred the tea absentmindedly, barely hearing the spoon clink. Everything felt unreal like you were floating somewhere outside of yourself.
He stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Same tired eyes. Same clenched jaw.
“You’re being dramatic,” Jihoon said, tone flat. “Again.”
The spoon stopped.
You looked at him slowly. “Again?”
He stepped in, voice tightening. “You always do this when I’m working. Suddenly I’m the villain because I’m focused?”
You blinked. “I never said that—”
“You didn’t have to,” he cut in. “It’s the sighs. The walking away. The guilt-tripping.”
You flinched.
He stepped closer. “You think I don’t notice the way you make everything about how I don’t love you right? Just because I’m not sitting on the couch 24/7 doesn’t mean I don’t care, Y/N.”
“I never asked for that,” you whispered. “I just wanted—”
“You wanted what?” His voice rose, sharp now. “For me to drop everything because you’re insecure?”
It hit like a slap. Your breath caught in your throat.
Jihoon shook his head, almost laughing. “This is always how it goes. I get busy, and suddenly you’re packing bags and sending guilt texts.”
“I never guilt tripped you,” you said, but even as you said it, your voice wavered.
He pounced on that. “Right. Because, ‘I don’t want to eat alone anymore’ isn’t emotional blackmail?”
Your heart stopped. You hadn’t even let him see that napkin. How did he know?
“You read the trash?” you asked, voice breaking.
“I live here,” he said coldly. “I saw it. And you knew I would. That’s why you left it.”
You shook your head slowly, stepping back. “No. I threw it away so you wouldn’t see it. I was venting, Jihoon. I’m allowed to feel lonely.”
He laughed not loudly, not joyfully, but like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You don’t even realize how much pressure you put on me. You think you’re gentle, but you want me to feel guilty for not being enough for you.”
The words felt like ice in your chest.
“I’ve never asked you to be anything other than present,” you said, quieter this time. “I’ve always supported you—”
He cut in again. “And I didn’t ask for someone who needs hand-holding every second.”
Silence.
That one stung.
Your hands trembled, but you clenched them into fists to hide it.
He didn’t notice. Or maybe he did and just didn’t care.
“I think you just… make problems when things are fine,” Jihoon continued. “Things were fine until you started acting like I don’t care.”
You stared at him, something inside you cracking like glass.
So this was it.
This was how it turned how the man who once pulled you into his arms without words now stood across from you, arms crossed, acting like you were the problem. Like you were unstable. Needy. Selfish.
Maybe you had been quiet too long. Maybe he thought your kindness made you easy to bend.
But tonight, something shifted.
“I’m not making this up,” you said slowly. “I’m not imagining the distance, Jihoon. You stopped being there. You shut me out. And now you want to blame me for noticing?”
He looked annoyed. “You’re twisting this.”
“No,” you snapped, and it surprised you the fire in your chest. “You are.”
His lips parted, but you didn’t let him speak.
“I have done everything I could to love you. Even when I was being ignored. Even when you forgot what day it was. Even when I sat alone in that tiny couch in your studio like a prop in the background of your life. I stayed. But I won’t let you turn this on me.”
The silence between us was suffocating, yet it wasn’t the kind that begged for comfort. It was thick, heavy, like a storm gathering behind closed doors. Woozi’s eyes, usually so gentle and soft, now held a cold, unyielding edge. The words he had just spat out kept replaying in my mind like a broken record, echoing the disbelief, the hurt.
“You’re imagining things. I never said those things. You’re making this up.” His voice was steady, almost clinical, as if I were a child accusing him of some childish mischief.
I stared at him, my chest tight, eyes burning. “How how can you say that? After everything I told you? After how it made me feel? I trusted you…”
He cut me off with a tired shake of his head, as if my pain was a bothersome interruption in his day. “You’re overreacting. You’re too sensitive. I don’t know why you keep twisting things. Maybe you just want to fight.”
That hit me harder than any slap could. The sharp sting of being blamed for my own feelings, my own truth, collapsed me inward.
I blinked back tears that threatened to fall. “I’m not lying. You said it. You hurt me.”
“No, I didn’t.” His voice dropped lower, colder. “You’re just too emotional. Stop making me the bad guy.”
It was the ultimate betrayal—not just the cruel dismissal, but the deliberate rewriting of reality. I wanted to scream, to shake him awake, but my voice caught in my throat.
“Why… why are you doing this?” I whispered, the pain raw and exposed.
He looked away, the mask slipping for a split second. Then, with a small, bitter laugh, he said, “Because if I admit it, then I have to face what I did. And I’m not ready to do that.”
That was the cruel truth he was afraid. Afraid to confront his own mistakes, so he pushed me away instead. Left me alone in a room full of shadows.
I wanted to reach out to him one last time, to plead for the man I thought I loved, but the walls I had built to protect my heart trembled and cracked under the weight of his words. Instead, I turned away, retreating into myself.
Days passed like a blur. I spoke less, smiled less, a ghost lingering in the corners of our shared spaces. The warmth between us was replaced by icy distance. Woozi stayed busy in his studio, buried in music and deadlines, barely looking my way.
And I let him because what was left to say? The person I loved had become a stranger who denied my reality.
Late at night, I lay awake, fingers clutching my sheets, haunted by memories of whispered promises and gentle touches that now felt like echoes from a past life. I told myself to be strong, to hold onto the fragments of who I was before this unraveling.
But sometimes, the loneliness crept in like a tide, threatening to drown me in its relentless waves.
One evening, after a particularly silent dinner, Woozi finally spoke, voice tired and distant.
“We should talk.”
My heart thudded with a mix of hope and dread. “About what?”
“About us.” He sighed. “About everything.”
I wanted to believe we could fix this, but the memory of his cold denial made me hesitate.
“I’m not sure if ‘us’ still exists,” I whispered.
He closed his eyes, the exhaustion plain on his face. “Maybe it doesn’t. But I don’t want to lose you.”
His words were fragile, but I wasn’t sure if they were enough anymore. Not without truth. Not without accountability.
I looked at him, searching for the man I once knew in the shadows of his guarded gaze. But all I saw was the pain of two people slowly unraveling, tangled in silence and broken trust.
And maybe, that was the hardest truth of all.
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peachhcs · 7 months ago
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we need more macklin fics and fluff bc that one was actually so cute. i need more asap 🩷
sorority formal
still debating if i should make a macklin au to add to my samy + will verse (HAHA my own fanfic verse??) but here’s some more fluff between the lovely rookie and his gf from santa clara university :) — also cleaning out my inbox so that’s why i’ve posted four times in a row LOL
also if this is bad i’m so sorry. i lowkey awkwardly switch between 2nd person and 3rd person pov sometimes so apologies for that. otherwise, i’m really starting to like writing about mack 😌 (slight allusion to sex but there’s no sex actually described just kissing)
masterlist
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macklin had never been to a college sorority formal before, nor did he really understand what it was or what to expect, but he agreed to be your date nonetheless. plus, the look on your face was hard to say no to when you asked him two weeks ago.
the brunette was in his room trying to find the right suit to wear while will sat in the corner on his phone. he knew a little bit from when he was at boston, but he never found any interest in going to those frat and sorority parties, so the rookie was a bit in the dark when it came to this stuff.
will wasn’t much help either.
“i dunno man. i’ve never been to a sorority formal before. i assume it’s the same as any other formal? i’ve been to samy’s soccer banquet,” will shrugged, watching his friend try on his third suit.
“y/n said to just wear something neutral. her dress is pink i think,” macklin explained as he examined the dark navy suit in the mirror.
“i think that looks fine. navy and pink go well?” will nodded.
“i’m kind of nervous. is that bad? i don’t really know what to expect,” obviously, he didn’t want to make y/n look like a fool at her own sorority, so the boy’s nerves were at an all time high at the moment. what if he did something stupid?
“samy texted me back and she said it’s like prom but for college. there will be food and drinks and then you dance if you want. some sororities will do speeches or superlatives,” will read off the text his girlfriend just sent him.
“oh, okay. that’s not too bad then. i’ll be fine,” macklin assured himself and decided on the navy blue suit.
“yeah, it will be chill. you basically get to spend a whole night with your girlfriend,” will grinned and the brunette couldn’t help but smile at the thought. he hadn’t seen you in a few days because of your crazy busy schedules, so having this night to yourselves would be nice.
“yeah, you’re right. it will be chill and we’ll have fun,”macklin was basically saying positive affirmations to himself at this point which made will chuckle. he stood up to help his friend with his suit.
“don’t even sweat it, dude. she’s gonna love you,” the blonde assured and if will thought so, then macklin was gonna believe it.
once he was finished getting dressed, he grabbed his phone to let you know he was on his way over to your dorm. the boy rushed through the house, double checking his pockets that he had phone (check), keys (check), wallet (check), and a small bouquet he decided picking up for you because he knew you liked flowers.
“knock ‘em dead!” will called from the porch as macklin got into his car.
the brunette drove the short drive to the university. being new to driving in the states still and the nerves about tonight made his hands a bit shaky as he turned onto the drive that led to your dorm. he didn’t need to sweat this. it was you. y/n. his girlfriend. there was no reason for him to be nervous about some sorority formal.
he parked in the lot and climbed out, doing a third check that he had all of his belongings. you were waiting in the lobby for him after getting his text about being on his way. the hockey player stopped in his tracks though when he laid eyes on you.
your strapless, silky dress stopped around your ankles where he could see your pretty white heels. your hair was down like it usual was and macklin was pretty sure his pupils turned to hearts.
“hi,” you grinned when he got closer.
“hi..wow..you look..” the boy lost his words making you laugh.
“you look pretty..wow,” you complimented his navy suit.
“s-so do you. wow..i..i’m in awe,” he admitted earning a bright blush on your cheeks.
“you’re sweet. are these for me?” you noticed the bouquet wobbling in his hands. the brunette quickly flushed and handed them over to you.
“yes, sorry. they are.”
you admired the pretty pink and red petals, “thank you. these are pretty. wanna come up for a second so i can put them in water?” it wasn’t really a question because macklin was going to follow you regardless.
the two of you stepped into the elevator. mack’s nerves were now because of how beautiful you looked beside him and he didn’t know how to express it other than telling you and the building desire to kiss you. he followed you down to your dorm. your roommate grinned at him.
“hey mack,” maya waved.
“hey maya,” he waved back.
“look, he brought me flowers,” you showed maya the pretty bouquet.
“wow, brownie points for the hockey player,” she teased a bit which made him flush. he watched you find a vase and fill it with water from your bathroom. you came back out and placed the flowers into the vase.
“like them?” you asked for his opinion.
“i like them,” he nodded.
“i’ll put them by my desk for now. thank you, again,” you pecked his cheek.
“of course,” the boy was glad you liked them and he was glad he decided on getting them the other day because the smile on your face was so worth it after spending an hour at the store trying to pick them out.
“okay, we’re gonna head out now. we’ll be back later,” you called to maya who threw up a thumbs up.
“have fun! don’t get too drunk.”
you went back down the elevator and then out of the building where you latched your arm with mack’s. he rubbed your hand and leaned in to kiss your forehead.
“it’s not far from here,” you explained as you led the way.
“i’ve never been to one of these before,” the boy admitted a bit nervously.
“don’t worry, it’s so chill. you’ll get to meet some of my sorority sisters, we’ll eat, dance, drink some, and then we can leave whenever,” you explained and it eased some of mack’s nerves a bit more hearing you explain it. as much as he appreciated samy’s brief explanation, he also liked hearing it come from your lips too.
the two of you came up on one of the college bars in the area. it was already blasting music that could be heard from outside. macklin followed you inside where you were immediately greeted with security to check your ids. you both got little x’s on your hands meaning neither of you were 21. mack’s gaze flicked around the space that was dimly lit and pumping base through his bones.
“omg, y/n, hey!” a girl greeted you.
“hi jen, you look gorgeous!” you admired your friend’s dress.
“no you do! is this your boyfriend?” she turned her attention to mack.
“yes, this is macklin,” you gripped his arm again and the boy managed a tiny smile.
“nice to meet you. i’m jen, the sorority president. come on in. we have food in the back and drinks at the bar so get whatever,” jen explained.
you quickly led macklin to the back because you were starving. the boy watched you take a plate so he copied whatever you did. you laughed at his behavior.
“don’t be so nervous, mack.”
“sorry. just getting used to it all,” he said. he’d never been into a bar before because he wasn’t old enough first of all and if he was caught underage drinking he’d definitely get a mean punishment from his coach.
“it’s okay. it’s overwhelming, but i’m right here remember,” you assured and some of the worries eased hearing you say that. macklin offered a grateful smile as he followed your lead with the food and then followed you to a seat.
you sat with some other girls and their dates which got all of you quickly talking. the more you talked, the more comfortable macklin became and flushed when a few people recognized him as a hockey player. being next to you made him feel a lot more comfortable too. seeing you look so calm and content helped him do the same and by the time you were done eating, he was having a full conversation with some of the guys without you involved.
“let’s get pictures!” one girl exclaimed when she came around with her camera.
you pulled mack up. he eagerly wrapped his arm around your waist, the two of you smiling wide as the flash went off—almost blinding you guys because it was so bright and the room was so dark.
“aw, you guys look adorable,” the girl spun the camera around so you could see the preview. macklin quickly kissed your cheek.
“i love it, thanks,” you said.
you guys ventured back towards the center of the dance floor to start dancing along with the others. macklin was big on getting to dance, so he took full advantage, urging you to join his energy. you giggled at the way he bounced on his feet and pulled out his best dance moves for you.
when everyone started coming onto the floor, it got warm fast so the brunette lost his suit jacket leaving him in just his dress shirt that was almost halfway unbuttoned by now. his arms were around your waist, the two of you swaying to the beat and being in your own world together.
any anxiety the rookie felt earlier had completely disappeared being in the center of the dance floor with you. all that mattered to him was you in his arms as he spun you around.
“did i tell you how gorgeous you look?” the boy leaned in closer as he spoke over the music.
“you did, yes,” you grinned.
“well i’ll tell you again. you look gorgeous. prettiest girl here,” his words earned a bright blush on your cheeks.
“you’re too sweet, mack.”
“i’m serious, y/n/n. you’re beautiful,” he leaned in closer, still wanting that kiss he hadn’t gotten yet. you saw his request and closed the gap.
the two of you shared a sweet kiss, not caring that there were others around you or watching. your lips felt like heaven against the hockey player’s. he never wanted to let you go, but forced himself to to get some air back into his lungs.
“i could kiss you forever,” he mumbled.
“me too,” and you reconnected your lips for another quick kiss. mack’s hands wandered a bit lower towards your hips and then swiping over your ass. a giggle left your lips at his behavior.
“we should save this for the dorm,” you smiled while directing him away for now. a little pout appeared, but he understood and let you go.
the music picked up again and it had him spinning you around once more. because all of his focus was on hockey growing up, the brunette’s never had an experience of going to an end of the year dance or prom or anything, so he was glad he was getting to make this up with you right now.
as the night winded down, you and macklin decided to leave. he threw his suit jacket over your shoulders for the quick five minute walk back to your dorm. you appreciated his gesture, tugging it closer to your body to hide yourself from the semi-cold evening temperatures.
“thanks for coming tonight,” you smiled as you rode the elevator.
“of course. i had a lot of fun. thanks for bringing me,” mack returned your smile.
“i’m glad you did. better get ready for next semester,” you teased a bit and mack’s heart swelled just a little bit at the idea of coming back to your formal because that meant you wanted him enough to stick around for the next one.
he knew what you two had meant a lot to both of you, but sometimes he got in his head just a little bit wondering if he was good enough for you or not enough because he was some big shot hockey player and he knew what everyone thought about hockey players. he worried he wasn’t the one for you even though you were 100% the one for him. he knew it from the day he met you, so hearing you say that made him burst with joy.
maya wasn’t in the dorm, probably taking the hint that you guys wanted the room to yourselves. macklin was glad because he wanted to continue that kissing you guys were doing earlier.
he watched you hang up his suit jacket like you did every time he brought his suits with him and kick your shoes off. he followed suit and then didn’t waste another second bringing your lips to his again.
that urge he’s had all night only got stronger the more he kissed you. you reciprocated all of his actions and unspoken wants, pulling your hand through his pretty brunette locks and running your hand down his chest.
“i love you,” the boy mumbled between kisses.
“i love you,” you breathed.
he found your gaze for a second, wondering if this was right. wondering if you were sure about him. his thoughts were answered though when you grabbed ahold of his face to kiss him again and lead him to your bed.
needless to say, all of his anxieties were eased by the end of the night and the love he had for you had never been bigger.
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ghostedgwen · 25 days ago
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marauders band au, hear me out: established relationship with Remus - he writes her a song they were first dating (band is not that known yet) then fast forward to years later (band is now famous), he uses same song when proposing to reader
fade to nothing | r.lupin
note : FINALLY! omg Gabi ilysm I wanna keep writing for band au marauders after indulging in this one holyyy, thank you thank you for this amazing request! I had the best time writing 4.8k words of this absolutely amazing plot
warnings : some angst and falling out, breakups, situationships almost, fame and all the angst that comes with it, angst with comfort, hurting and healing, a happy ending
You were there from the beginning and Remus happened to lose sight of you and everything that mattered when fame came and the songs played louder, but surely if the love is strong you can fix what isn't entirely broken?
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You find him backstage after the set, crouched on a flight case, tuning the same string on his guitar for the third time. The venue's still buzzing behind the curtain - voices raised, laughter echoing, cheap beer sloshing in plastic cups - but Remus looks like he’s somewhere else entirely.
He doesn’t look up when you call his name, so you try again, a little softer this time. "Remus."
His head lifts, slow, like he’s wading through a fog, and when he sees you, the line of his shoulders eases just slightly. "Hey."
You sit beside him. The flight case creaks under your weight, and he shifts his guitar to make room. The body of it knocks gently against your knee. You let the silence settle between you. It’s familiar by now - actually comfortable, in that uncertain, almost-there kind of way.
The set had gone well, you thought. Not perfect - James missed a cue in the second verse of their opening number, and Sirius got too excited with his distortion pedal halfway through the closer. But the crowd had been decent, the applause warm, and no one had stormed off stage or broken anything vital. By the Marauders’ standards, that was a win.
You glance over at him. His hands are still on the strings, but he's not really playing. Just touching, like he needs something steady to keep from drifting.
"You alright?" you ask.
He shrugs. "Yeah. Just tired."
It's not a lie, not exactly. But it's not the whole truth either. You know him well enough by now to hear the things he doesn't say. The tension in his jaw. The way his foot taps against the floor, subtle and uneven.
You nudge his arm gently. "You were good tonight. The new bridge on ‘Smoke Signals’ worked. People liked it."
He exhales a soft laugh, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. "You think?"
"I know."
Another beat of quiet. Then, with a sort of resigned breath, he sets the guitar aside and runs a hand through his hair. "I, uh... I have something. If you want to hear it."
Your eyebrows lift. "Something?"
He nods toward his worn-out rucksack, half-zipped and slouched against the wall. "It’s not finished. Just a rough demo. I haven’t even played it for the others yet."
You wait, unsure.
Remus has always been the most reserved of the four. James is bold and loud, Sirius even louder, and Peter - well, Peter tries. But Remus hangs back, watching, writing, always half somewhere else. His songs come out of nowhere sometimes, all tension and feeling and quiet devastation.
And he never shares them unless they matter. So when he pulls a battered cassette recorder from the bag, your heart skips.
He presses play before you can say anything. Just static, then the soft scrape of fingers on strings.
It starts tentative. A delicate picking pattern that feels like it could fall apart any second. His voice enters like he’s afraid to hear it back - low, fragile, like something said in the dark.
You walked in like a whisper / I wasn’t ready to be seen / In a room full of noise and flash and smoke / You looked right through the screen.
You blink.
The song is quiet and quite simple. But it holds a weight you feel inyour chest.
I’ve been running half a lifetime / Hiding all the parts I hate / You didn’t ask for pieces / But you stayed, anyway.
He doesn’t look at you while it plays. He stares at the floor, hands in his lap, thumb twitching.
The song winds through verses that feel like journal entries, private and unpolished. There’s a moment in the middle where the guitar falters, like he nearly lost the thread. But then he finds it again, voice steadier.
So if I fall apart tomorrow / And I can't find my way through / Just know there was one clear moment / When everything felt true.
And then the refrain, soft like a promise:
I think I found something real / In the middle of the noise / In the quiet after the soundcheck / In the tremble of your voice.
When it ends, the silence feels heavier than the music.
You don’t say anything at first, and neither does he.
It’s like something raw hangs in the air, and touching it might make it vanish. You could almost feel your heart melt out of your chest and spill to the floor.
He clears his throat. "It’s not done. Still needs work."
You shake your head. "Remus."
He glances at you, eyes guarded.
"That was..."
But you don’t have the word. Stunning? Moving? 
He waits. "You wrote that? For me?"
His mouth quirks, nervous. "Yeah. I mean. I didn’t know if I should. Or if it was weird. But I couldn’t stop thinking about... that night after Camden. When we walked back to the station. And you said you didn’t know what we were, but you didn’t want to stop finding out."
You remember it was raining. You shared an umbrella, not hands. You both pretended it wasn’t a moment. You look at him now, the real him, sitting there with his heart practically in your hands. And it hits you how rare this is. How brave.
"It’s beautiful," you say. "And it’s not weird. It’s... it means a lot."
He heaves a sigh, it was long and relieved.
"I’m not great at saying things straight," he murmurs. "But I meant all of it. I think you know that."
You do. Which is probably what makes this so much more magical, because you understood him so well like he was made for you to decipher, a poem just for you to get.
You reach over, lacing your fingers with his. His palm is calloused from strings and stress. He grips you gently.
"So what are we, then?" you ask.
He doesn’t answer right away. Just looks at your joined hands like they might vanish if he breathes too hard. Then: "We’re figuring it out. Together."
It’s not a love song, not really quite there yet, but it’s something real. And in the backstage quiet, long after the music fades, it feels like a beginning.
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The nights blur together. A haze of rehearsals, takeout containers littering the floor, cheap beer, and the low hum of amps that never fully shut off. Sometimes you're there with them in the thick of it - perched on the arm of a threadbare sofa while Sirius knocks over mic stands and James tunes his guitar by ear, stubborn and sharp. Other times you're in the background, notebook in hand, watching Remus quietly untangle melodies the way other people breathe.
Your role in The Marauders was more behind the scenes than on-stage with them. You helped get their name around, found gigs for them and even helped get them together at times. You were almost the anchor that held the band together, without them even declaring it, they knew. So did you.
Your relationship with him unfolds not in declarations, but in passing touches, exchanged glances, the brush of his shoulder against yours when he walks past in a narrow hallway. It isn't defined, not in the way others might need it to be. But you know the shape of it, and so does he.
Sometimes you sleep tangled in his sheets, half-covered in lyrics scribbled on the backs of setlists. Sometimes you fall asleep to the scratch of his pen, the low murmur of him humming a chorus to himself. There are no promises made, just moments. But they were more than enough.
The Marauders are starting to pick up steam.
Small shows turn into bigger ones. The crowds are still half friends and drunk uni students, but there’s talk now. About their sound, about the way James can work a room. About Sirius, magnetic and manic on lead guitar, playing like his life depends on it. Peter holds it together more than he doesn’t. And Remus - Remus writes like he's bleeding onto paper.
You catch Remus late one night, alone in the tiny kitchen of the shared flat the band uses as a crash pad. He’s nursing a cup of tea that’s gone cold, staring at the yellowing wallpaper like it just told him a secret only he can unfold.
You lean on the doorway. "You okay?"
He startles. Then gives a tired smile. "Didn’t hear you."
You cross the room, brush your fingers over the back of his neck. He leans into the touch without thinking. "You're in your head again," you murmur.
He shrugs. "Just thinking."
"About?"
He hesitates. Then, "About what happens if this actually works. If we make it."
You frown. "Isn't that the goal?"
He nods, but there's something unreadable in his eyes. "Yeah. But you don’t get to stay invisible when it happens. People look closer at everything."
You know what he means. About the scars that don’t fade, the nights he still wakes up clawing at himself. About the part of him he’s always tried to keep hidden beneath dry wit and harmonies.
You slide into the chair next to him. "You’ve never been invisible. Not to me."
He looks down, smile faint. "I know."
You rest your head on his shoulder. "Then what are you scared of?"
He doesn’t answer right away. Then, quietly: "That I’m not built for this. That if they see too much, they’ll leave."
You sit with that for a while, letting the softness of the silence wrap around you two. Then, just as softly, "They won't. Not if they have any sense."
He huffs a laugh. "You always think the best of me."
"I know the best of you."
He kisses your temple and whispers a thank you he probably doesn’t think you hear. But you do, you just smile through it as you knew he never needed to thank you.
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A week later, you catch him slipping the demo cassette you remember into his pocket before rehearsal.
You arch a brow. "Finally going to share it?"
He looks caught. Then shrugs. "Maybe."
You grin. "Do it. You know it’s good."
He gives you a look like you’ve just dared him to jump into fire. Still, that night at the studio (more like the Potters’ spare room they never use), when the rest of the band is messing around with ideas for their next set, Remus clears his throat.
"Got something new. If you want to hear it."
Sirius pauses mid-riff, James turns down his amp, and eter puts down his half-eaten sandwich. Remus slides the tape into the player. Hits play and your song - his song, your song - fills the room.
No one speaks until it's over.
James is the first to break the silence. "Shit. That’s... damn."
"That chorus," Peter breathes. "It got me, mate."
Sirius whistles low. "Didn’t know you had that in you."
Remus looks stunned. Maybe a little terrified, but he nods. You catch his eye, and then you smile. It felt good to be someone’s muse, to have art made just for you that you knew would mean so much to you than anyone else could possibly understand.
Later, when you’re walking home under the quiet sky, his fingers brush yours.
"Thanks," he says.
"For what?"
"Pushing me."
You squeeze his hand. "Any time."
It starts small, that song. Tucked into the middle of a chaotic setlist. But people start to notice, and even ask about it. The quiet one, they say. The unusually quiet and comforting love song that was a nice surprise to end their sets on.
Remus hears that and flushes pink. You hear it and just smile, it was always your job to talk to people while the band either prepared to start or to leave. Remus always claimed you had a way with people and perhaps he was right.
You often find yourself chatting with the audience as they enjoy the show the band put on. They’d ask you about the band, about the members and you’d entertain them all. You even got the boys gigs as you made your rounds through the night.
James swears you are the best addition to the band, without actually being in it. He would go as far as to sar you are also a Marauder, as much as they are and you’d laugh, heart swelling with joy.
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You were the one who sent the emails, made the calls, chased the bookings. You built their early buzz from scratch - wrote press blurbs at midnight, talked your way into indie zines, begged that one radio host to give them a spin. You did it because you believed in them. Because you believed in him.
And it worked.
One day, the email came. A scout from a mid-size label. He’d caught a set at one of the East End dives and saw something. A few meetings later, they had a deal.
Everything shifted after that.
More shows. Bigger venues. Studio time, and even interviews. The rush of something real, finally. You should’ve been thrilled. Part of you was. But the rest - the rest started to feel like a background player in a story you used to help write.
The label brought in producers. Real ones, with real opinions.
They listened to the demo, the song. Your song.
Then they tore it apart. “We need more drive.” / “Strip it down, rebuild it with a cleaner hook.” / “This bridge isn’t radio-friendly.”
Remus was quiet during the meetings. Didn’t fight them, not really. You tried. Brought up the emotion. The intimacy, claiming it was the point and tried to plead your case that the audiences back in their smaller gigs loved it.
One of the execs waved you off. “It’s got potential. But the personal angle - it doesn’t scale.”
You could see it on Remus’ face. The way his shoulders hunched in. The way he stopped meeting your eyes, and then the new version hit the speakers. Louder and way shinier. But hollow.
You didn’t say anything. Not then.
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Tour started two weeks later.
You were there at first. Helping with the logistics. Keeping things steady. But there were new people now - tour managers, stylists, publicists. The chaos turned professional. Your place among the crew grew uncertain. No one asked you to leave but no one asked you to stay, either.
Remus was always moving. Always being pulled to the next thing. Photoshoots, interviews, soundchecks.
He kissed you when he could. Touched your hand when he passed. But the quiet space you’d shared - those slow nights and whispered mornings - vanished under flashing lights and back-to-back obligations.
The night of the London gig, it all boiled over.
They played the reworked version. The crowd loved it. Cheered like mad. You stood in the wings, watching Remus smile, watching him hold the mic like he was born for it. And all you could think about was the first time he played it for you, nervous and raw and perfect.
Backstage was a blur of congratulations. Champagne flowed in celebration. Flashes from press cameras. Laughter was overlapping as the cheers and applause echoed in the background.
You waited until the others filtered out before catching him in the hallway, breathless and golden with adrenaline. “You didn’t even look at me during the set,” you said.
He blinked. “What?”
“The song. It used to be ours.”
His smile faded. “Don’t do this now.”
“Why not? Because we’re backstage at a real venue, and you’ve got an image to keep?”
“That’s not fair.”
“No? Because I fought for you. For all of this. I believed in that song when no one else did.”
He ran a hand through his hair, jaw tight. “And now it’s out there. Isn’t that what matters?”
You stared at him. “You didn’t write it to be out there. You wrote it for me.”
It was deafening silence after that. You could feel the cracks appear in the glass then, how the quiet settled between you to make you realize of the distance that had been there. He didn’t deny it, but he didn’t step closer either.
You nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
You walked away before he could answer, and for the first time since this all began, he didn’t follow.
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Tour season continued with a vengeance. Venues booked back-to-back. Interviews, press junkets, photo ops. The Marauders were no longer the scrappy underdogs playing pub basements. They were headliners, and it was loud, so loud it drowned out everything else.
You made your choice before the second leg kicked off. You weren’t going to follow this time. Not because you didn’t care. But because somewhere along the line, you’d forgotten how to care for yourself.
You took the foundation you’d built - the networking, the hustle, the branding knowledge - and pivoted. Found work consulting for other rising acts. Wrote press copy, coached new managers, ran social strategy. You had your own projects now. Your own calendar. Your own name in someone else’s liner notes.
But some nights, you still kept tabs. You’d see grainy photos in tabloids. Headlines swirling with speculation.
Remus Lupin spotted leaving afterparty with model—sources say they’re close. 
Band tension? Lupin’s emotional ballad scrapped from upcoming single release.
You told yourself it didn’t matter. That you knew him better than some column in a glossy rag. Still, it stung. He never reached out. Neither did you, and the rift between is ever growing.
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You got the call on a Thursday, you had been buried deep in some paperwork for another small band you’d found playing at the pub where you used to watch the boys play. You answered without thinking much of it.
Sirius, voice clipped and shaken. "It’s Remus. He collapsed after soundcheck in Amsterdam. Exhaustion, they think. Maybe an infection. He’s asking for you."
You were on a plane within hours.
The hotel suite was quiet when you arrived. Dim. Sirius nodded at you in the hallway, eyes rimmed red. James gave you a tight hug. Peter, leaning in a chair near the wall,greeted you with a small smile, but murmured a low, “He’s down the hall.”
You found him in bed. Pale and almost flushed from the fever. The IV line taped to the inside of his elbow looked wrong. Out of place. You stood in the doorway for a long time before he opened his eyes.
"You came," he said, voice dry and cracking.
You sat beside him. “Of course I did.”
He stared at you, too tired to pretend. “I fucked everything up.”
You brushed sweaty hair off his forehead. “You ran too fast, too hard. Doesn’t mean it’s over.”
He closed his eyes. “It felt easier when you were around.”
That confession broke something between you, like a glass wall that you’d both build around each other. Too stubborn to bring it down and yet you can see each other through so clearly. Your hand stilled at his words.
“I needed space, Remus.”
“I know,” he whispered. “I just didn’t know how to keep going without making it worse.”
You watched him breathe. His breaths came in slowly and they were shallow.
“I read the articles,” you said finally.
He opened his eyes again. “They weren’t true.”
You nodded. “I figured.”
“I missed you,” he said. “Not just at gigs. All the time. In the quiet moments when I had no idea what the hell I was doing.”
“You didn’t call.”
“I didn’t think you’d want me to.”
The space between you was heavy. But not empty. He shifted, wincing as he reached for his bag beside the bed. From the front pocket, he pulled out an old, battered cassette. The label was peeling. Your handwriting still faintly visible.
“I kept it,” he said. “Even when they made me change it. I couldn’t throw this one away.”
He reached across to the small player on the side table, you watched him through his struggle knowing he wouldn’t want help. You swallowed thickly as he pressed play.
That same raw demo from all those nights ago filled the room. Slightly warped now with age. But still clear. Still beautiful.
Still yours.
You listened in silence, your eyes were glossy but tears didn’t actually form. When it ended, he looked at you.
“I never stopped meaning it,” he said.
You reached for his hand.
“I know.”
It didn’t fix everything. But it softened the break.
Sometimes, that’s the first step back.
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Post-tour life moved slower. The kind of quiet that felt almost foreign.
Remus came back to London two weeks after they all finished the last two remaining cities from the tour. You opted out of accompanying him, you still had work back home. You met him at the airport, holding a homemade sign that said Marauder Down: Emergency Recovery in Progress. He laughed, tired and soft, and leaned into you like he remembered how to breathe.
You weren’t together again. Not officially but you were… something. Enough to share Sunday mornings and late-night tea. Enough to talk without something heavy hanging in the air for the first time in months.
You sat on the floor of your flat one evening, records scattered around you both.
“I don’t know if I want all of it,” he said, finger fidgeting the sleeve of a Bowie LP. “The touring. The cameras. The curated answers.”
“You don’t have to take it all,” you said. “Just take the parts you want.”
He looked at you then, eyes clearer than you’d seen in ages. “And what if the part I want the most is sitting right in front of me?”
You didn’t answer. You just reached for his hand.
He started spending more time in the small spare room of your flat, hunched over a borrowed acoustic guitar. Said he was just noodling. Said it wasn’t important, but you heard the chords through the wall. The same gentle cadence. The same fragile beginnings.
You didn’t push.
Meanwhile, James invited you to dinner - just you. Which was odd enough to be suspicious. You and James were close as much as you were close with the other boys from the band but you were never out alone with just one of them.
Other than your thing with Remus, you were pretty much a whole group.
“They’re planning something,” he said between mouthfuls of curry. “The next album. It's going to be different.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Different how?”
“Less polish, more truth. Remus is writing again.”
You tried not to let your heart leap.
“But he’s hiding something,” James added. “He’s cagey. Won’t show anyone the arrangement he’s working on. Not even Sirius. That’s when I know it’s serious.”
You smiled, just a little. “I might have an idea.”
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The invitation to the televised performance came two months later. BBC special. A full set, plus an interview. Their first major appearance post-tour. By now they have about two to three songs in the top 10 charting and blasting on radio stations.
Remus was quiet the whole afternoon before. Not anxious, just… internal. Backstage was a blur. Techs running lines, makeup touch-ups, nerves buzzing like power lines.
Then it was lights, camera, cue. The band opened strong. A new track. A crowd-pleaser. Sirius was electric, James radiating joy. Peter was somewhat cool and poised. Remus… centered. Like he’d found something he thought was lost.
Then came the last song. He stepped up to the mic alone, guitar slung across his chest.
“This next one’s an old one,” he said, voice steady. “Most of you haven’t heard it like this. Not the way it was meant to be.”
The lights dimmed. Just a single spotlight on him, it felt like the world had slowed down as you heard those first few strum on the delicate guitar strings.
He played the original. Your song. Unchanged, untouched, like that first night he ever let you hear it. When it was quieter, when you were both unsure and the world wasn’t yet looking. 
You felt yourself choke up, hearing that song again like it was a promise being remembered. You couldn’t help the tears from flowing out of you. When the final chord faded, he let the silence sit.
“I wrote this before any of this,” he said, gesturing around the stage. “Back when we were barely getting gigs and figuring out who we were.”
You could almost throw up from the anticipation.
“And I never would’ve kept going if it weren’t for one person. Someone who believed in me when I didn’t. When I couldn’t. Everything I’ve become, everything this band has achieved - it started with her.”
The camera cut to you in the front row. You felt your heart stutter. Remus stepped forward.
“I used to think love had to be earned. That I had to prove I was worth the risk. But she never asked me to be anything other than myself. She just stayed. And helped me find the way back.”
He reached into his pocket, time that was slowing completely stopped. A ring, you could see the stone on it glisten from where the spotlight shining on Remus hit it.
“Come up here,” he said.
Your legs moved before your mind caught up. The stage felt impossibly bright. The crowd quieted. You could hear your pulse as some of the stage crew guided you up, their smiles so wide at you.
When you reached him, he took your hand.
“I don’t need the spotlight. I just need you. Always have.”
You blinked back the blur in your vision. “I’m not asking for perfect. Just for forever. Will you?”
You didn’t even let him finish. You kissed him first. The crowd erupted. It was almost uncharacteristic for someone as reserved as Remus to propose so publicly, but you could see the reason behind it.
He had spent some time too deep in his own head to truly appreciate you, what you meant to him and you both wasted time pretending like you mattered less to one another. With this big, grand declaration of his love, he will silence everything else.
All the doubt, all the whispers. He will close all the distance that had been in between.
Later, offstage, as the noise of the moment faded and the two of you curled into each other in the green room, he whispered: “I kept the song for you.”
You kissed his jaw. “I know.”
It was a beginning. A beautiful one, despite everything it took to get there. He had grown into this person that was no longer the Remus you first knew but you have changed as well, you both have.
Now the rest of your lives will be spent getting to know the new versions of yourselves.
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The venue buzzed with the final echoes of the crowd, lights slowly dimming as roadies hustled to pack up gear. You stood just behind the curtain, swaying slightly as the adrenaline of the set faded. Remus walked offstage, guitar still slung over his shoulder, shirt damp with sweat and a wild, boyish grin tugging at his mouth. His eyes found you immediately.
“There’s my girls,” he said, kissing your temple first, then brushing his lips over your daughter’s forehead. “How are my girls?”
He looks at your daughter, all curls and oversized headphones, sat on your hip - wide-eyed and sleepy. “Tired,” you answered with a soft laugh, shifting your daughter to your other hip. “But we loved the show.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, me more than her.”
Behind him, Sirius bounded over and swooped your daughter into his arms dramatically, practically stealing her from you. “There’s my favourite groupie!” he declared, spinning her gently while she squealed.
James wasn’t far behind, ruffling her hair and pulling a face that made her giggle again. “You know, I think we’re the reason she has such great taste in music,” he said to you with mock seriousness.
“You’re the reason she knows how to headbang,” you quipped back, rolling your eyes fondly.
Peter approached a moment later, slightly out of breath from the encore. “Hey,” he greeted you warmly. “Did you enjoy the show?”
“I always do.”
He smiled. “Wish you could keep touring with us.”
“I’d love to,” you said honestly, “but I’m not hauling a three-year-old from city to city every other week.”
Remus laughed and nodded, wrapping an arm around your waist. “She’s got a point. I miss having you out here every night, but this one needs a consistent bedtime.”
“She’s got better tour stamina than you did at twenty,” Peter joked, nudging Remus.
Remus mock-glared. “Yeah, well, she doesn’t drink whiskey like water.”
Your daughter yawned against Remus’ shoulder now, tiny arms curling around his neck. The chaos of the crew and lights blurred around the six of you, like white noise under a melody that only the band - your makeshift family - could hear.
end. masterlist
200 notes · View notes
changetyre · 10 months ago
Text
Make a wish
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SUMMARY: It's Ivy's 2nd Birthday and her birthday wish is a little bigger than you'd expected. Part of Verstappen Family Verse
WARNINGS: None?
A/N: Requested over on wattpad ;)
"Oh no Max the party hats, I forgot to get party hats." Your heart sunk to your stomach. 
"No, I bought some." Max calmed you down. 
Today was Ivy's 2nd birthday and she had been so insistent about celebrating her birthday at a race with her Papa and Uncles despite you telling her she could have a big birthday party at home with her friends. Ivy almost cried when you suggested something else wanting nothing more but to be at the "waces!" for her birthday. 
Despite this, you still wanted her birthday to have somewhat of a little celebration so you'd spent days making and decorating cupcakes to take to the paddock and buying some decorations for Ivy. 
You'd wanted everything to be a surprise so you'd mostly work at night so that the girls didn't see you because you also knew that if Lea saw anything she would definitely say something since she was as good at keeping secrets as her uncle Lando.  
But Max could tell how stressed and tired you'd grown with trying to get everything perfect for her and he was glad it was finally the day so you could relax a little. You'd woken up earlier to get the stuff in the car so that Brad could drive it to the track before you arrived with Max, Ivy, and Lea. 
"Okay, I'll go now." Brad got in the car to drive off. 
"Wait no did I bring down the streamers?" You asked. 
"Yes," Max answered waving Brad away. 
"Wait what about the-" 
"Schatje, everything's there." Max cupped your face to get you to look at him. 
"But what if-" 
"If it's not she won't even notice darling, it'll be perfect because we'll be there." Max kissed you not letting you argue further. He could feel you relax in his arms. 
"I'm sorry, I just want everything to be perfect." You hugged your husband tightly. 
"You'll never reach perfection baby, trust me I've tried" Max kissed your head. "But you're close enough and Ivy's gonna love whatever we do for her." 
 __________
"PAPA WOOK!" Ivy yelled excitedly as she ran out of her room. 
Max turned to see his daughter in a big puffy Belle dress which she had begged him to buy for her birthday. 
"Oh my god is that Belle?" Max gasped dramatically. 
You stood by the door watching the interaction with loving eyes. 
"No Papa is me Iby!" Ivy ran up to her dad who lifted her up and twirled her around. 
"How's my gorgeous birthday girl?" Max kissed her cheeks. 
"Papa I tuwn two." Ivy held up her tiny hand trying to hold up 2 fingers but her third finger kept slipping out of the grasp of her little thumb and pinky finger. 
"Yes, you do and you need to stop growing." Max hugged her closer sighing at the idea of his girls growing up. 
A few seconds later Lea peaked her head around the corner of her room. "Mamma?" She called your name. 
"You ready baby?" You asked your daughter whom you'd also bought a dress for since you wanted to make sure she didn't feel left out. 
She nodded shyly, she'd started growing shy around you and her dad lately whenever she showed you something which you found adorable. 
She walked out wearing her Belle dress too except hers was the blue town dress and you'd helped her put a blue bow on her hair. 
"What a gorgeous princess!" Max also sighed dramatically while holding Ivy who clapped in his arms happily. 
You had breakfast quickly, the girls and you having pancakes as a treat for Ivy's birthday while Max had to eat something else to keep his weight down for getting in the car later. 
You strapped everyone into the car and off you went to the race track. 
________
As soon as you arrived there were cameras everywhere but by now the girls were used to it especially Lea who liked to pose for the cameras despite Max and you telling her to keep her head low. 
"Mama Wando?" Lea pointed down to the McLaren hospitality as you approached the Redbull hospitality. 
"Maybe we'll see him later Ivy he's not here yet." You lied and heard her sigh sadly as she rested her head on your shoulder.
You'd arrived at the track pretty early since Max didn't have to be on the track until around 4 today but as a surprise for Ivy's birthday, You and Max had asked the boys if they could arrive early to surprise Ivy for her birthday knowing she would just want to spend the day with her favorite people. 
You walked into the Redbull hospitality and Brad, Vicky, and other staff members were there ready just like planned. 
"Ivy look!" Max called out to his daughter who lifted her head from your shoulder to look towards her dead. 
"SURPRISE!" They called out as party poppers went off and confetti flew everywhere Ivy's eyes and mouth were wide open as she looked around the decorated room. 
She squealed in your arms squirming for you to put her down and as soon as you did she went running to where there were presents and a huge cake with a small fondant F1 car where Ivy was the driver wearing a tiara. 
"PAPA LOOK!" Ivy called out to her dad pointing at the top of the cake. 
"Wow, Ivy." Max gasped surprised as if he hadn't specifically asked for her cake. 
You looked around to look for Lea just to find her munching away at the snacks that were laid out across the snack table despite eating breakfast not long ago. Just as you turned again you noticed Lando, Dani, Carlos, and Charles at the door, Ivy too distracted looking at her cake with her dad to notice. 
"Come in." You waved the drivers over. Max had previously discussed all of this with Christian and he'd gladly accepted having the drivers over at the hospitality for a few hours for the celebration. 
"MY BABY!" Lando yelled as soon as he was inside. 
Ivy's head snapped immediately in the direction of her favorite person. "WANDOOOO!" She yelped as she ran as fast as her little feet could carry her towards her godfather. 
Lea hearing the commotion turned around and also ran towards her godfather, Daniel scooping her up in her arms happily. 
It didn't take long for the rest of the drivers to pile in and Ivy excitedly greeted everyone although always kept coming back to Lando's arms. 
Although you'd insisted they didn't have to bring anything you weren't surprised to see the gift table had doubled in numbers at all the gifts the drivers had bought only hoping they hadn't spent ridiculous amounts of money on a 2-year-old. 
"Happy Birthday dear Ivy! Happy Birthday to you!" Everyone finished singing as Max held Lea in his arms, you holding Lea in yours as you stood behind the birthday cake. Antoine, Louis, and Joris moved across taking pictures and videos of your family per their own request as you'd told them they didn't need to take any pictures and you'd be happy with simply their presence but they insisted. 
"Make a wish princess." Max lowered Ivy so she could blow at her candles. 
"I wish for a widdle broder!" Ivy yelled out unashamedly blowing out her candles afterwards. 
You and Max looked at each other in shock as everyone around you burst out laughing. "Uh, you're meant to say your wish in your head baby," Max told his daughter not really sure how to proceed. 
"hmm." She shrugged unbothered as she squirmed for Max to put her down. "Wando Cake!" She called out to her godfather who gladly came over to help Ivy start cutting the cake (horribly). 
After everyone got a piece and Lea sat sharing her piece with Lando on his lap you all sat and relaxed for a while, Max by your side as Lea played around with Joris and Charles whom she still had an obsession with. 
Max turned to you blinking hard three times, his little I love you gesture. "So what do you think about Ivy's wish huh?" Max asked you. 
You laughed at the thought. Max laughing with you. "If it's with you I want it all." You told him lovingly. 
"In another year?" Max dragged your chair closer to him so there was barely a gap between the both of you. 
"Sounds good to me." You smiled before Max kissed you lovingly. 
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v6quewrlds · 6 months ago
Note
PLEASE HEAR ME OUT; we saw the stream of tee listention to bmf by sza; so an imagine request could be; reader in her universe or wtv wrote that bc yk her and tee are together. and tee didn't know, and she just randomly posted new song out go enjoy, and when its released let's see tee is on stream and everyone's saying like tee reader dropped a new songs and he goes huh and so he calls her and is like did you just drop a song and she goes maybe and he goes to listen to and is like wait, is this about me and then gets really cute and excited that its about him
imagine writing a song about tee.
Tee was bored out of his mind.
The quietness of the off-season was usually a welcome reprieve from the chaos of football, but today, it felt like a prison sentence. His eyes darted from the TV playing the Notre Dame game to his phone and back again, searching for anything to fill the void. That's when he decided to set up his chair, pop his headset on, and start up his Twitch, hoping the time would fly by.
"Yo, what's good," Tee greeted his viewers with his usual enthusiasm. His screen flickered to life, displaying his face and the den behind him. The chatter in the chat grew as fans typed away, eager to interact with the star wide receiver.
Mid-game, the notifications started pouring in. "YOUR GIRL SURPRISE DROPPED," one fan exclaimed. "It's trending on Twitter," added another. Tee's heart skipped a beat. He paused the game and leaned in closer to the camera, his eyes searching the chat for more information. He hadn't heard a peep from you about this. You were in New York, tucked away upstate to finish recording your third album.
"Fuck is y'all talkin' about? My girl dropped?" Tee said into the mic, his eyes darting between the chat and his phone. He sent you a text, his thumbs moving at the speed of light. "Nobody told me nothing," he muttered under his breath. The notifications on his phone went wild, with fans sending links to Spotify and Apple Music.
After deciding you were taking too long to answer his text, he dialed your number, putting the call on speaker. It rang twice before you picked up, your voice as smooth as honey. "Hi, baby," you drawled out, playing it cool.
"Don't 'hi, baby' me," Tee said, trying to keep his own cool. "Did you really drop a new song?"
You giggled, the sound echoing through the room. "Maybe," you hummed coyly.
Tee rolled his eyes. "You playing with me?"
Your laughter grew. "I don't know. I miss you though."
Tee felt a tug at his heart. "Miss you too, but tell me about this song," he urged, trying to ignore the flutters in his chest.
"Why don't you play it and see?" you suggested, your voice dripping with mischief.
Tee's heart was racing. He pulled up Spotify on his other screen and searched for the new release. Sure enough, there it was: "BMF". He hit play and put the phone back on speaker. The song started off pleasant before the beat dropped, and your velvety voice filled the room.
Young and fine and dark and handsome The boy from Tennessee keeps bossing And I can't keep my panties from dropping
Tee's hand came down to press pause before the rest of the verse could reach his ears. "Hold on, is this about me?" He was grinning wide, a laugh bubbling up from his chest in disbelief.
Your giggles grew louder over the phone. "You're supposed to play it, listen with your ears, baby," you teased, your voice full of excitement and a hint of nerves.
Tee's smile was uncontainable as he hit play again. He leaned back into his chair, eyes on the lyrics scrolling by. The song continued as Tee continued smiling wide. He listened intently as the words painted a picture of your feelings for him. The fans in his chat went wild, posting heart-eye emojis and shouting out their love for the couple.
Know my baby packing, why I'm stuck That's why he my man
He couldn't help but press pause again, rising out of his chair to do a little victory dance. "Chat, y'all hearing this shit? This is about me!" The room was alive with the energy of his laughter and the thumping bass of the track. "Baby girl, you out here talking crazy. Goddamn!"
Your giggles turned into full-blown laughter. "I had to," you said, the sweetness in your voice contrasting with the explicit nature of the lyrics. "Just finish the song."
By the time the song wrapped up, Tee couldn't help but feel over the moon. He had heard rumors about artists writing songs for their significant others, but never thought it would happen to him. His cheeks were sore from smiling so much. He sat back down, his eyes gleaming with pride and love.
"So, what do you think?" You asked.
Tee looked at the screen, his mind racing with thoughts. "Baby girl, that shit is fire. Like, for real," he said, nodding his head in time with the beat that he decided to loop for a second play.
"You like it?" Your voice was a mix of relief and excitement.
"Like it?" Tee scoffed, his laughter still echoing in the room. "I love it, baby. You went off, baby, damn." His chest puffed out a bit, unable to contain his pride. The fans in the chat were going crazy, sending love to the couple and praising the song. Tee read some of the comments out loud, his smile growing wider with each one.
Your laugh was music to his ears. "Thank you, baby. I wanted to surprise you."
Tee leaned in closer to the mic. "Surprise? You could've just called me to tell me this. You ain't have to go and make a whole song about it," he joked, winking at the camera.
"Mute yourself for a second?" you said, your voice taking on a more sweet tone. Tee's eyes widened, and he quickly muted the stream before you could say anything more.
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thebigbadbatswife · 5 months ago
Text
I Don't Know How It Gets Better Than This
Pairing - Bruce Wayne x F!Reader Stay Like This Forever Masterlist Read on AO3
Warnings - 18+ ONLY, Explicit sexual content, Unprotected sex, Creampie, Multiple orgasms, Porn with feelings, Elements of Soft Dom!Bruce Wayne and praise kink, Established relationship, Older man/Younger woman, Age Gap, Tooth-rotting fluff, Humour, Valentine's Day
Summary - Bruce surprises you the best Valentine’s Day you’ve ever had.
A/N - A day late, but it's here! As promised! Also, as with all fics within this 'verse, this is a complete stand alone and doesn't require any thing else to be read to be enjoyed <3
Word Count - 4.8k
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You frown as you get into the back of the car that’s waiting for you, just outside of the airport. Your eyes are glued to the bright screen of your phone as you fumble with the seatbelt. It’s been ten hours since your last text to Bruce and he hasn’t even read it yet. 
Is he upset with you? It’s your first Valentines as a couple and you haven’t been able to spend the day together because work has kept you away. It’s a couple hours from midnight now and you have only just got back to Gotham. Should you call him? Not replying to your text is very out of character of Bruce. Even when he’s been upset in the past, he’s always been upfront about it with you about it. For him to suddenly change… 
Something else is going on, so you decide that you are going to give him a call. The line doesn’t even ring. Instead you’re sent directly to his voicemail. Now you are starting to get worried about him.
“Everything alright, Miss…?” your driver, Tom, asks you. He’s been your driver for the longest time and he’s one of the few people that you know you can trust. 
“Bruce hasn’t replied to my text and his phone went straight to voicemail,” you reply.
“Shall I drive you to Wayne Manor instead?” 
You shake your head as you scroll through your contact list. “No, my apartment is fine. I’m going to call Alfred. He might know what’s going on.”
“Of course.” 
You bring your phone back up to your ear as the line rings. Unconsciously, your leg starts to bounce as you wait for an answer. After the third ring, someone picks up the phone.
“Hello?” Alfred’s voice comes over the phone.
“Alfred! Thank goodness, I’m so sorry. I know it’s really late. I just. Bruce, he isn’t answering my texts and his phone went straight to voicemail.”
“Master Bruce left the Manor a few hours ago. Oh my, it would seem that he’s left his phone here.”
You laugh softly, relief rushing through you. “Of course he has. Okay, that’s good to know. Get him to call me when you see him next?” 
“I will see that he does. Have a good night Miss…” 
“Goodnight Alfred.”
You set your phone into your lap and sigh. He’s not upset with you, like you had been panicking about. He just forgot about his phone. Though it isn’t like him to be so absentminded. You remember him mentioning being concerned about a killer by the name of Calendar Man, but Alfred hadn’t mentioned Bruce going out tonight in his cape and cowl. And you’re sure that he would have. 
What was he doing tonight?
As the car drives through the streets of Gotham, you find your gaze focusing on the rooftops. Ever since you figured out what it is that your boyfriend does at night, you find your focus often drawn above you. Wondering if you’ll catch a glimpse of him. The drive from the airport to your apartment isn’t super long, thankfully. Before you know it, you’re climbing out of the car, accepting your bag from Tom and thanking him and making your way up to your apartment.
When you open the door to your apartment the first thing that you notice is the rose petals on the floor. The next thing you notice is all of the candles, casting a golden glow over your home. The biggest smile that you’ve ever had makes its way onto your face as you take in the sight of what Bruce has done. It’s no wonder to you now why he forgot about his phone. He was busy setting all of this up for you. 
You shut the door behind you, making sure to lock and chain it, and set your bag down onto the floor, alongside your suitcase.
Following the rose petals, they lead you to the dining room. The table is set. There’s a single flower vase with a red rose sitting inside of it and two empty wine glasses, waiting to be filled. The bottle of wine that sits next to them looks like it might have some dust on it, but it’s hard to tell in the candlelight. In the centre of it all, standing there and waiting for you, is Bruce. Looking like the picture of perfection. 
“Hey, sweetheart,” he says as he approaches you. His hand comes to rest on your hip as he pulls you toward him, which you protest against.
“Don’t! I need a shower; I’m all gross from the plane,” you complain as you push against him.
He chuckles softly. “I don’t care. I want to kiss my girl.” 
You give in and let him pull you flush against his body. He kisses you in that soft and sweet way that always sends butterflies fluttering in your stomach as your heart skips. You grip his suit jacket as you kiss him back. Your tongue gently prods at his bottom lip, seeking more from him, which Bruce gladly gives you. 
You pull away first, your smile immediately returning.  “You didn’t have to do all this, babe,” you say softly.
“Of course I did. You deserve to have a nice Valentines,” he replies. 
His words shouldn’t hit like they do, but you can feel yourself getting choked up. You haven’t had a great track record when it comes to past relationships. Something that Bruce keeps doing his best to make up for. Hiding your face away from him, you halfheartedly shove against his chest again.
“Stop, you’re going to make me cry.”
Bruce’s arms wrap around you, hugging you tightly. “So long as they’re happy tears. That’s all I’m going to accept tonight.”
You laugh and you look up at him. Now he’s looking at you in that way that sends your heart haywire, warmth blooming in your chest. His thumb swipes away a tear that’s slowly making its way down your cheek.
“Dinner still needs a little bit longer, so why don’t you go and take that shower?”
“Okay.” 
He gives you one more kiss, drawing a soft noise from you before he finally lets you go. You pause when you reach the doorway and look back at him. There is one thing that has been nagging at you ever since you walked through the door and saw the petals.
“How’d you know that I would be back in time?” 
He shrugs. “Because I’m Batman.”
You shake your head and laugh. “That’s the answer you’re really going for?”
“It hasn’t failed me yet. Now, go, shower! Or dinner will be ready and cold before you get out.”
“Alright, alright! I’m going!” 
The hot water feels great as it cascades over your body. After the long day that you’ve had, it’s very much needed. A part of you almost expects Bruce to join you, but you’re not disappointed when he doesn’t. You’d prefer that he keeps his eyes on dinner and not burn your apartment down because he’s busy having sex with you. Besides, you’re sure that there will be plenty of that after dinner. 
You switch the water off and wrap a towel around your body. When you enter your bedroom, you find a dress laid out on your bed, waiting for you. It’s in your favourite colour and there’s a matching set of heels, sitting in an opened shoe box. As well as that there’s a couple of velvet jewellery cases. 
He didn’t. 
You pick up the smaller case and open it. Inside are a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings. You’re already sure that, in the bigger case, is a matching necklace. Even though you’ve told him he doesn’t have to, Bruce does love to buy you gifts. Though, if this is what he’s buying you for Valentine’s Day, you can’t imagine what he might do for your birthday.
Once you’re dry and dressed, you look at yourself in the mirror. Your makeup doesn’t do your outfit justice. It’s simpler than what you would have normally done, but you don’t have the time right now. A delicious scent is wafting into your bedroom, from the kitchen, and it’s making your stomach growl. 
If Bruce notices your toned down makeup, he doesn’t say a thing as you re-enter the dining room. His eyes take in the sight of you as he swallows thickly. Honestly, you’re convinced you could walk in wearing a burlap sack and he would still look at you the exact same way.He gets up from his seat and walks over to you again.
“Look at you. Absolutely beautiful,” he says.
“Thank you. You really didn’t have to buy me all of this.”
“I know, but you deserve to be spoiled. And I will take every chance I get to do exactly that.” 
The moment is completely ruined by your stomach as it growls. Bruce chuckles and starts to lead you toward the table.
“Come on, I made your favourite.”
Once you’ve taken a seat, he pushes your chair in before taking his own seat. Your table isn’t huge like the one back at Wayne Manor. So you’re not miles from each other as he sits opposite of you. In fact, his knee presses against your own. The food looks amazing. The smell alone making your mouth watering as your stomach growls again. You tuck in immediately. Just as the first bite passes your lips, a moan leaves you. It tastes incredible. Of course, you expect nothing less from Bruce. He’s an excellent cook, when he has the time to dedicate to it. That being one of the things you learned early on, after the first night you had spent together.
The conversation between you two consists of Bruce asking about your day. Which you enthusiastically tell him about your new castmates and the script and how, for the first time in a long time, you’re actually excited about acting again. While you ask him about his biggest worry that he had mention, to which he tells you that Julian Day was caught earlier by the police. And both Arkham and Blackgate are quiet so there’s no worry about the Bat Signal pulling him away. 
He’s all yours.
When dinner’s finished, and you’ve got a couple of glasses of wine in your system, you decide to skip desert. Right now, all you want is Bruce.
From the dining room, you and Bruce move to the living room. Where he’s settled on the sofa with you straddling his lap as you make out. His tongue slides across your own, exploring every inch of your mouth. Meanwhile his hands remain high up on your waist, making no move to feel you up like you want him to. It makes no sense to you considering that you can feel how hard he is. Even the smallest shift from you has him twitching in his pants. You decide to take things into your own hands.
From where your arms are wrapped around his neck, you slide a hand down his front, headed straight for his pants. Just before your finger tips come into contact with his belt, his hand wraps around your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.
“Am I not moving fast enough for you, princess?” he asks. The nickname sends a shiver down your spine, your body remembering all the things he’s done with you, and to you, after using it. 
You shake your head. “Not even close, babe.”
“I don’t want to rush things. Besides, I love kissing you and I haven’t been able to do it enough these last few weeks.” 
His words are sweet, making your cheeks heat up and warmth bloom throughout your body that isn’t due to the alcohol in your veins or your growing arousal. You kiss his jawline, following it toward his ear.
“There are other parts of me you can kiss, you know,” you whisper. 
“All in good time, sweet girl.”
Bruce directs your face back toward him so that he can resume kissing you. The hand that had hold of your wrist is now on the back of your back, keeping you right where he wants you. Meanwhile, the hand that’s on your waist starts to move away. His hand slides down your side, coming down to rest on your thigh. Which he squeezes gently. As his tongue reenters your mouth, Bruce’s fingers slide beneath your dress, trailing up the inside of your thigh. All of your focus is now on his hand. The feeling of his calloused finger tips against your soft, smooth skin sends goosebumps erupting across your skin. 
The closer he gets to where you want him most, the more you start to ache with need. Just before he reaches your panties, he starts to move away again, trailing his fingers back toward your knee. You whine against his lips, frustration starting to build up inside of you. He was so close! So close to finally giving you what you wanted! Why’d he stop? Bruce simply smirks as he continues to run his fingers up and down your leg.
“You’re very needy tonight, princess,” he coos. “I’d better fix that, huh?”
“Please,” you whine.
Bruce shushes you softly. His fingers trail back up your legs, dragging them slowly along the inside of your leg. His touch remains featherlight, but your body still jolts when he finally pushes his fingers against your panties. Right where your clitoris is. Gently, he starts to rub you through the soaked fabric. Even the lightest touch feels amazing, pleasure already thrumming through you. Your lips part as a breathy moan of his name leaves you.
“No wonder you’re so needy. You’re absolutely soaked, sweetheart.”
“It’s your fault,” you tell him. “You make me like this.”
He hums and nods in agreement. “I had better look after you then, hmmm?”
“Please.”
You expect him to either slide your panties to the side or rip them off of you completely, but he does neither. Instead he keeps touching you through them. The only thing he changes is that he starts to use his thumb instead of his fingers. He kisses you again as he rubs circles against your clit, swallowing your moans. His free hand comes up from your waist and upwards to cup and grope your breasts through your dress. 
You roll your hips, chasing after your pleasure that’s building up way faster than you thought that it would. But it’s really no wonder with how well Bruce knows your body. Knowing exactly how to touch you, both the pressure and speed needed to get you to your climax.
“Fuck,” you gasp. There’s no doubt in your mind that, with how quickly you’re approaching your end, that it’s feeding his ego. 
“You going to be a good girl and come for me?” he asks. He applies some more pressure, his rubbing becoming more insistent. 
Your breath is now coming out in short puffs as you can feel the tension coiling inside of you more and more. You’re so close. So fucking close, if he just keeps touching you like that…
Your fingers grip his suit jacket like it’s your lifeline as your body shakes. Bruce talks you through it. His words filled with encouragement and praise as your orgasm rocks through you. 
Just as it starts to become way too much for you, he pulls his hand away. Your forehead comes to rest against his shoulder, your body still shaking from the intensity of your orgasm. He rubs your leg. Pressing soft kisses to the side of your neck and cheek, as you come down. 
“Always such a good girl for me, aren’t you?” 
You make a soft noise of agreement as your eyes close for a moment. Enjoying the feeling of the random patterns being traced and his lips on your skin. 
As your breathing calms down, you turn your head and capture his lips with your own again. At the same time, your hand trails back down his body. Following the exact same path as earlier. He doesn’t stop you this time. You press your hand against the tent in his pants. A low groan leaves Bruce as you touch him. The sound making your pussy clench around nothing, sending another wave of arousal through you. 
Fuck, you need him inside of you.
“I think we should move this to the bedroom,” you suggest, pulling away. 
His eyes are dark, that steely blue of his iris a thin line against his pupil. While there is a light blush across his cheeks, which stands out a fair bit against his pale skin. 
“Definitely.”
Once he’s made sure your grip on him is secure, he stands up, bringing you with him. As he carries you toward the bedroom, you press kisses to his jaw and neck. Even going as far as to gently bite and suck on his neck, leaving behind a few lovebites in your wake. 
They’re in a rather visible spot, unless he wears a turtleneck. He, honestly, might just end up covering it up with the same makeup he uses to cover up the worst of the bruises he earns each night as Batman. Deep down, you hope that he doesn’t. You want him to show them off. Remind everyone that he’s all yours. 
Though, with how the media continues talking about you both, they likely don’t need it.
When you get to the bedroom, he sets you down. His hand quickly locates the zipper for your dress and, very slowly, he starts to pull it down. The action surprises you. You had expected him to rip it from you like he’s done to every other dress that he’s previously bought you. Bruce chuckles. 
“I love the way this dress looks on you far too much to ruin it just yet,” he says.
“Oh, I see. So I only get to keep dresses based on how you feel about them?”
He raises an eyebrow at you. “Do you want me to ruin it?”
“No! I’m just in mourning over the other ones.”
He laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling as they shine with amusement. He kisses the tip of your nose. “I will buy a replacement for each one I’ve ruined, okay? Now, come on.”
With your dress fully unzipped, he eases it off of your shoulders and lets it fall into a pile on the floor, around your feet. He helps you step out of it and pushes you back toward the bed.
“Lay down,” he instructs you. 
You dutifully follow his order, settling down onto the bed. As you get comfortable, Bruce strips himself of his suit jacket and shirt. You drag your eyes down his body. Appreciating how well toned his body is. The scars that litter his body add to his sexiness.
“Enjoying the view?” he teases you. 
“Only fair considering you keep ogling my boobs,” you reply. The entire time he’s been undressing his top half, his eyes have kept glancing over, landing on your chest more often than not. Not that you mind. You like it when he’s ogling your body. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have some fun. 
“Well, I know your name now.”
His reply makes you shake your head as it prompts the memory of the night you first met him. Your dress had been completely scandalous that night, yet he had not looked at your chest once; claiming that doing so would be rude since he didn’t even know your name.
You cross your arms over your boobs, hiding them from his view, pretending to be annoyed with him. Bruce chuckles at your antics as he shakes his head. He comes over to the bed and climbs onto the bed, draping his body over yours as he settles between your legs. He nuzzles his face against your neck. His kisses turn into light bites as he trails them down your skin. 
He nibbles at your collarbone, sending a shiver down your spine and making it really hard to keep your act up. When he reaches where your arms are still crossed against your chest, he kisses along the length of one of your forearms before pulling away. Supporting himself with one hand, he uses the other to gently pry your arms apart. You don’t do anything to fight him on it, letting him open your arms and reveal your breasts to him again.
“There you are.”
He litters your chest with kisses and lovebites. Starting at the top of one and trailing his way to the underside. His bites turn into licks as he gets closer to your nipple. Bruce swirls his tongue around the hardened bud before finally taking it into his mouth and starts to suck. You arch your back into his touch, a short gasp, bordering on a moan, leaving you. Like the tentative boyfriend that he is, he doesn’t neglect your other breast, using his free hand to squeeze and play with it. He lavishes your chest in affection. Kissing, biting and licking his way to the other. Where he repeats his actions. 
“Bruce,” you moan softly as you run your fingers through his hair, messing it up. You shift your hips beneath him, grinding against his cock. Your actions draw a deep groan from him and he rocks his hips into yours. Letting you know that two can play at that game.
He only stops so that he can trail his kisses down your body, past your naval and toward your truly soaked panties. He presses a firm kiss to your clit through the fabric, making you sharply inhale. Bruce doesn’t stop there. Instead he kisses and bites the inside of both of your thighs.
You love the sight of him between your legs. Whether it’s him eating you out or kissing where your thighs are most sensitive. His hair messy and pupils blown wide. Even better if his chin and mouth is shiny with your slick. It’s one of the best sights in the world to you. You wouldn’t mind keeping him there forever.
Deft fingers undo the buckles of your heels before sliding them off of your feet and letting them fall to the floor with a thud. As soon as they’re gone, your panties quickly follow as Bruce rips the fabric, as if it’s paper, and gets rid of them. You don’t care. Anything is good as long as it gets him inside of you faster. The longer that he draws this out, the more desperate that you are starting to become.
The ache between your legs is becoming unbearable as your clitoris throbs, begging for more attention from him. You want, no, you need him inside of you. You need to feel him stretching you open as he fills you up, making you feel impossible full.
“Brucie?” you call softly. He looks up at you from where he’s been drinking in the sight of the mess that your arousal and earlier orgasm have made of you. 
“Yes, princess?” 
“I need to feel you inside of me. Please? Please, fuck me?” 
You don’t even need to beg him for it. The way that he’s looking at you and how hard his cock feels against you. He was likely about to make a move to finally start fucking you to begin with. You just begged before he could make that move. 
With a speed that would be impressive if he wasn’t Batman, Bruce removes the rest of his clothing. He drapes his body back over yours, lining himself up with your entrance. 
There was a time when you used to be nervous about his size; he’s the biggest you’ve ever had after all. Now though? Now you wrap a leg around his waist and pull him down for another kiss as he starts to slowly slide into you. You’re so wet that he easily enters you, bottoming out immediately. He feels absolutely amazing. Stretching your pussy and filling you up exactly the way that you want him to. Your head falls backwards, onto the pillow, as you moan.
“That feels better, doesn’t it, princess?” he coos softly. He’s stilled, letting you adjust to his size, like he always does. 
“Yes,” you reply, along with a nod. It really does. It’s insane how good he makes you feel.
As soon as you give him the go ahead to move, he does. Slowly he pulls out of you, leaving only the tip inside, before pushing back in. Each time he makes sure he’s hitting that sweet spot deep inside of you, drawing more moans from you.
“That’s it, sweet girl. Let me hear you,” he murmurs. He’s back to nuzzling and kissing your neck and jaw.
You could stay here, in this moment, forever. Your bodies tangled up together, joined as one. Bruce slowly fucking you as his fingers played with your clit. Tonight has been something like you might read in some romance novel or see in some movie. A great surprise by a perfect boyfriend who knows exactly how to make you feel so good once he finally gets you into the bedroom. At the same time they all paled in comparison. The real thing always being better. Because no character in a novel or movie could compare to what you have in front of you.
Bringing your hands to his shoulders and push lightly. If Bruce didn’t want to move, he wouldn’t, but he follows your lead. Flipping your positions so that you are now on top. A deep groan leaves him as you start to bounce on his cock, your hands flat against his chest to support yourself. His hands are on your thighs, stroking them with his thumbs as he watches you ride him. His eyes hooded and pupils blown wide.
“Look at you. You look absolutely amazing sweetheart.” His voice sounds strained as he speaks. Much like earlier, his eyes are trained on your boobs, which bounce with each roll of your hips, along with the jewels around your neck. “You always look so good riding my cock.”
You laugh softly, which quickly turns into a moan. You can feel yourself getting close again. Your pussy squeezing and fluttering around his cock while the coil inside of you grows tighter and tighter. Bruce is getting close as well. While before he was holding back his moans, wanting to hear you instead, he’s growing more vocal as he starts to thrust up into you.
His thumb returns to your clit, rubbing in time with you and sending you tumbling over the edge. You cry his name as your pussy clamps down onto him. Bruce falls over that edge with you, the way your squeezing him making it impossible for him not to, and he comes deep inside of you with a moan of your name.
Boneless and spent, it’s easy for him to get you to lay on his chest. Pulling you down from where you're supporting yourself on shaky arms. Both of you panting hard and becoming the only sound that can now be heard in the bedroom.
The feeling of him running random patterns against your back and the steady beating of his heart in your ear, soothes you. Almost sending you straight to sleep. It is rather late at night and you were previously on a long flight. You’re tired and blissed out. More than ready to sleep for the next week.
Before you can, you pull away from Bruce, muttering that you need the bathroom when he goes to stop you.
While you're in there, you make sure to remove your makeup and the expensive jewels he bought you, settling them back into their cases.
When you’ve finished up and re-enter the bedroom you come back to Bruce waiting for you with a glass of water and a slice of the cheesecake that had originally been for desert.
Grateful, you accept the glass and take a sip, before settling onto his lap like he wants you to. Bruce offers you a bite of the cheesecake which, again, you accept, groaning at the rich taste of it.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” he asks you, as if the answer isn’t the most obvious thing in the world.
“Tonight was perfect, Bruce. Thank you.”
“Anything for my girl,” he tells you. The kiss is soft and sweet; you smile into it. “I love you so much.” 
“I love you too.” 
There really aren’t enough words in the world for you to describe or tell him how much you love him. Something tells you that it’s the same for him as well.
The cheesecake slice is shared between the two of you. He continues to feed you each bite, batting your hand away when you attempt to take the fork. Once the plate is empty, he sets it down the nightstand. Bruce moves you both down the bed, getting you settled against his chest and pulls the covers up over you both.
You snuggle against him, your focus returning to his heartbeat as you let your eyes close this time and fall fast asleep, in the arms of your boyfriend.
You don’t know how life can get much better than this.
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midnightshindig · 5 months ago
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I think a fun prompt would be rex hcs/drabbles of what it's like having karaoke with him and the reader over some pizza and beer because of course they'd be having those around in the Guardian's headquarters to celebrate a successful mission HAHAHA. May/may not include the other guardians as well 🫶🫶
Rex Splode X Gn!Reader
Yeah I gotchu <3
fic under the cut:
It had been a long, difficult mission
youd all barely escaped with your lives
You know what that means-
PARTAYYYYYY
Okay but Rex has the habit of roping the Guardians (including you) into post-mission Karaoke and drinks
He orders pizza, or rather he bullies Mark into flying you pizza, and there’s beer in the fridge. Perpetually.
He had to threaten Cecil he’d quit to get that.
and so here you and the guardians are, watching Rex perform “Girls” by The Dare
He’s a terrible singer
but he knows all the words!
more than anyone can say for Rudy, who’s up next
Bros AWKWARD
Amanda does her best after him, some girl band song, Spice girls or something she sounds just tween enough to pull off
everyones having a pretty great time, duets around the group and a group rendition of YMCA
It’s a jolly ass time, you even rope Bulletproof in on it
Rex has proven his taste in music to be the equivalent of a mating call
”Take me Down”, “Dumb Dick”, that sort of thing
Until the fourth round of Karaoke where he’s like eight drinks in, and everyone’s just slurring through their songs
This is when he busts out— and dedicates you to— “I’ve been waiting for you” by ABBA
”Th8a THIS is for my PARTNER y/nnnmmmmmmMMOKAY LETS GO! A five six 7 nine!”
and he starts singing “I’ve been waiting for you” by ABBA
which would be romantic if he wasn’t butchering it
He ends the song dropping to his knees, fully raptured by the song
oh my god Rex get off the floor
everyone's staring at him, considerably less drunk
“I’m gonna get him some pizza…” you excuse yourself as he chokes through the second verse
When you come back and get some pizza in his system, he’s just finished his song
a minute later, he’s chewing down his third slice of pepperoni pizza, and very softly goes
”You left my song….”
oh he’s so sad
”I was singing it js for youuuu” he whines, tilting his head back and leaning against your shoulder
He wraps his arms around you waist and buries his face into your chest and collar
Rex looks up at you, like borderline pathetic
“Shhhhh, cmere-“ you pet his hair, which had been hair whipped out of its man bun an hour earlier
Soon the alcohol takes you too, the both of you fall asleep on the couch
It’s actually insane
Cecil Teleports into the living room the following morning to find:
you and Rex cuddling on one end of the couch, Amanda next to you sleeping with her head on Rudy, who was curled up with his back against her and his legs just barely not kicking Bulletproof
On the smaller couch adjacent, The Immortal and Black Samson sat, leaning onto opposite arm rests, with the Immortal sleeping with his arms crossed
Shapesmith is on the floor with Rae, both using the couch as a backrest
Mark walks in with a cup of coffee and smiles at Cecil “They made me bring them pizza. Black Samson sung Black Pink, you missed it it was great.”
Mark, whose mommy told him he wasn’t allowed to drink, was the only one without a hangover, and he took a long slow sip of his coffee before spitting it into the mug
”Ew is that what coffee tastes like??”
Cecil groans, pinching his temple “I guess training can wait for these dumbasses to get some rest. Wake them up soon. And with that he’s gone.
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svt-luna · 4 months ago
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ʚིᵋ ⋆ INSTAGRAM UPDATE ࣪ ! ˓ ౨ৎ ࣪˖ ─── 250312: Spring
i have been getting comments about wanting more negative comments on Luna’s instagram posts, so here you go! it’s so much fun to write how everyone reacts 🤭
╰ ౨ৎ LUNA-VERSE MASTERLIST ╰౨ৎ luna's instagram
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Liked by jeonghaniyoo_n, vernonline, min9yu_k and 7,454,454 others
lunabae spring wrote me a love letter 🌷💐✨
View all comments
moonlightbae Bugs is living a better life than us
jeonghaniii BUGGSSSS 🥹💕
↳ bugsbunny_17 This is a Luna & Bugs fan account now.
jiyeonienienie_ you are spring personified Jiyeon ☺️🌷
jxjdaily the Lego dates 😩
h0shik-tiger Mom, Spring wrote you a love letter? Meanwhile, I got seasonal allergies
boojae_dk The real masterpiece here is YOU 💖💖
gyuldaekwan Luna with a paintbrush? Luna painting? Oh, hang that up immediately in Louvre, she’s making history
shua_angels And where is my Lego invite?
↳ lunaticsforever lets third wheel together 🫣
seokminsbiceps When did Bugs sign up for a modeling career?
lalunanova Bugs… let’s switch positions… i can be a bunny *starts hopping*
verkwan_ how do WE join the Lego date?!
horanghaehoe A performer, an artist, a songwriter, a model, Yoon Jeonghan’s fiancée, a bunny mother, a Lego master… what can’t she do?
user0762727215 Ugh, here we go again 🥱 Luna and her constant need to shove her relationship in our faces. You’re only showing off Jeonghan because you know it gets you more likes and engagement. We all know your entire relationship is a PR stunt. You just love male attention, don’t you? Anything for the views, right? Gosh, you are embarrassing 🤮 do us all a favor and kys, thanks.
↳ jeonghaniyoo_n Imagine waking up, choosing to be bitter, and still being this bad at it. If jealousy was a sport, you wouldn’t even make the bench. Try harder.
↳ jeonghaniyoo_n You can be bitter all you want, but the moment you speak badly about my fiancée, we have a problem. Careful now— I’d hate for your sad little comment to be the biggest mistake you make today.
↳ jeonghaniyoo_n Oh, look what I found— your account spreading hate and fake news about my fiancée. Don’t worry, I already reported it. Maybe spend less time being obsessed with Luna and more time preparing for that account suspension and enjoy being sued.
↳ lunabae oops, sorry! can you repeat that? i was too busy admiring the custom Lego set MY FINACÉ bought and built with me. just because your life is as dry as overcooked chicken doesn’t mean you need to project your misery onto mine. MY FINACÉ loves ME, my bunny that MY FIANCÉ bought ME is adorable, and my life is thriving— sorry that bothers you 😊💕
↳ sound_of_coups Not the audacity being on sale for free today.
↳ joshu_acoustic Ah, jealousy. A disease with no cure.
↳ woozi_universefactory Imagine thinking you matter in this conversation.
↳ everyone_woo This level of delusion is fascinating. Should we study it?
↳ ho5hi_kwon If Luna wanted clout, she’d get it from me. Not Jeonghan 🤷‍♂️🐯
↳ junhui_moon You spent all that time typing just to embarrass yourself. Inspiring.
↳ pledis_boos PR stunt?? LMAO, babe, have you seen them? They’re disgustingly in love 😂
↳ min9yu_k The irony of calling someone out for “clout” when you’re the one desperate for attention.
↳ dk_is_dokyeom It’s giving “I have no love in my life so I hate happy people.”
↳ xuminghao_o You’re mad at Jiyeon for existing? Have you tried… not being miserable?
↳ feat.dino If you don’t like her, why are you here? No, really. I’ll wait.
↳ vernonline Seek help.
caratrose SEVENTEEN WENT FERAL I CAN’T BREATHE.
bunnies4luna Not Hoshi saying she’d get clout from him LMAOOO.
jeongluna4ever SEUNGKWAN EXPOSING THEIR RELATIONSHIP HELP 😂
lulu-hannie YOON JEONGHAN IS OUT HERE COMMENTING NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE, BUT THRICE AND THREATENING A LAWSUIT? This man does not play around!! I’m shook.
↳ svtfan1997 I am literally shaking. Jeonghan’s scary side is RARE, but when it comes to Luna? He doesn’t hold back. @/user0762727215 your done.
94zlover_ Vernon really said “therapy is an option.”
bugsbff I want to be reincarnated as Bugs so I can witness this drama in real-time. also… KEEP YOON JEONGHAN’S WIFE’S NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH!!
loveforluna @/user0762727215 got jumped by the entire band. ALL FOURTEEN of them. Imagine 😂
ashonashonash Jun’s “Inspiring” sent me to another dimension 🤣🤣🤣
svtmoonchild seventeen in the comments like it’s Fight Club. Don’t mess with Bae Jiyeon. Period.
aegyo_king Petition to frame this comment section and hang it in a museum.
missluna_17 that bitch just got publicly executed… well… that’s one way to get their attention 😝
napipopeta I’ve never seen Jeonghan this scary… He reported the account and said they’re about to be sued? My jaw is on the floor.
lunaandsunshine Jeonghan is acting like the CEO of Protecting Luna and I’m LIVING for it! You NEVER see him this fired up.
bunnyboo_THREE comments and one of them says they’re getting sued. He’s not joking too.
↳ jeongnadaily Yoon Jeonghan is really about to take someone to court for Bae Jiyeon and I’m here for it! And they said chivalry is dead 🤩
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˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ SUBMIT A REQUEST AND ASK ME ANYTHING!
: ̗̀➛ requests are always open ♡ - selఌ
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Taglist: @zhqvie @minminghao @angie-x3 @jennwonwoo @k13endall @heeseungthel0ml @chisskaa @megumi2020 @yoonzzziino @lllucere @smh-anon @yveclipse @randomworker @bunnystrm @iamawkwardandshy @gratefulbunny1 @bmo-bri @syren-ash @megseungmin @multiplums @unlikelysublimekryptonite @night-storm7 @cookiearmy @seokqt @btskzfav @billboard-singer @junhuisworld @caturdayvibe @coralbatlampzonk @sof1eya @lyraea @jihoonsbbygirl @cocopuff2424 @okoknotco @minvxq @soulphoenix1618 @whineywheeiny @rairaine @toplinehyunjin @ateez-atiny380 @cherrylovescheol @jiimtaee @blurr3db3rry @seomisaho @amanda08319 @peanutbutterslothsstuff @cheolsboo @allthings-fandoms @mystic-megumi @sherlockbye @tastyluvr @luperque @reignofraine @kpoplover-19 @star2013 @frankenstein852 @axleighkaize @jmkookie01 @shhh94 @gigglensnort @stupendouscookiehumanmug
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4barbatos · 14 days ago
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✦ heavens help the fujoshi
sypnosis: you are a devout girl — faithful, disciplined, and beloved by your church. you rise before dawn to pray, teach hymns to children, and clutch your rosary each night before bed.
but behind your devotional texts, you secretly read yaoi. and now, you’ve started shipping your childhood best friend with the bard who recently arrived in town.
there’s only one problem: you don’t know who the bard really is.
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a/n: guys i know i said i’d work on your reqs first BUT. i was listening to confessions of a rotten girl and suddenly my brain was hit with the most unhinged fic idea 😭 this might actually be the funniest thing i’ve ever written. i was giggling. i was kicking my feet. i had to pause every few lines to wheeze into my hands.
btw this is dahlia x fem!reader (one sided tho xD) but also like… venti x dahlia if you tilt your head. honestly idek anymore 😭
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you are a devout follower of barbatos.
every sunday morning, you wake before sunrise to kneel at your window, hands clasped in prayer as you whisper blessings to the wind. you wear your best dress — modest, pressed, with a tiny hand-stitched anemo vision near the collar. you polish your rosary until it glints in the morning light. you water the altar flowers. you sing in the choir. you stay after mass to help clean the pews and organize hymn books by alphabetical order. your collection of devotional texts is so extensive the church librarian once asked if she could borrow from you.
you are, in the eyes of your community, a perfect girl.
you do not curse. you do not gossip. you do not raise your voice. you attend confession twice a week, even when you don’t need to. the sisters say you are blessed. the elderly women pinch your cheeks and call you heaven-sent.
you do not think impure thoughts.
except you do.
you think about boys. you think about boys together. kissing. holding hands. brushing fingers in the candlelight. unbuttoning stiff uniforms. gasping into each other’s necks. you tell yourself it’s just fiction. just a passing obsession. a sinful phase.
you burn with shame every time. you cry about it for three hours and write apology letters in your prayer journal, pages stained with real tears and guilt.
“i’m sorry, barbatos. i didn’t mean to imagine that. i didn’t mean to enjoy it.”
and then you do it again the next night.
you met dahlia when you were six years old, the two of you seated side by side in the third pew from the front, legs swinging off the edge, too short to reach the kneelers. you shared crayons during sunday school. he stole the grape-flavored communion wafers just to make you laugh. when you cried after forgetting your memory verse, he recited it with you in a whisper, line by line, until you could say it on your own.
you’ve been pew seatmates ever since.
dahlia became a deacon two years ago. he wears the vestments like armor — precise, pressed, a perfect fit. he reads the scripture with a voice sharp enough to cut, each word laced with conviction. to everyone else, he’s curt. unflinching. impossible to impress.
but he softens when he speaks to you.
he always has. you think it’s just because you’ve known each other so long. that he’s just more patient with you, because you’re friends. because you grew up together. because he’s kind, in his own way.
you don’t like him like that.
he is stern. he is sarcastic. he scolds you when you skip breakfast before mass and sighs whenever you apologize for things you didn’t do. he pinches the bridge of his nose when you confess stupid things like:
“i imagined a blasphemous scenario again”
“i saw a fanart of two male knights kissing and i couldn’t stop thinking about it for three hours.”
he listens anyway. every other sunday. he waits for you in the confessional, silent and steady, as you cry your heart out and stumble over shameful, half-choked prayers. he absolves you with a quiet nod and tells you not to cry so much next time.
he is in love with you.
he always has been.
and you — so holy, so blind, so busy writing apology letters to barbatos for fictional sin — will never, ever know.
venti arrives one summer afternoon, carried in by wind and rumor.
no one knows exactly where he came from. some say he wandered in from the countryside. others whisper that he followed the scent of wine and wildflowers. all you know is that he showed up during the sunday procession with a lyre strapped to his back and a smile too bright for someone who’d just walked five miles through the heat.
you think he’s just a bard. a traveler. maybe a scholar passing through. a friend of dahlia’s, perhaps — though dahlia never mentioned him before, and dahlia never smiles at anyone like that.
you are wrong. so wrong.
venti stays in the village inn, but you see him every day.
he plays outside the chapel after morning prayers, sitting beneath the old sycamore tree with his legs crossed and his instrument in his lap. the first time you hear him sing, it feels like your lungs forget how to breathe. his voice is soft and weightless, like windblown petals. you can hear the holy in it. the kind of beauty that should be illegal. the kind of voice that makes saints weep and sinners confess.
you start staying after mass. at first, just a few minutes. then longer. sometimes you pretend to organize hymn books just to linger near the window where his music carries through the open shutters. sometimes you peek from behind the statue of barbatos, clutching your rosary like a shield, just to look at him.
venti talks to everyone. the altar boys, the flower girls, the old aunties who sell rosaries outside the gate. and somehow, he talks to you, too.
he calls you by name.
he tugs at your sleeve and offers you fruit from the market with a grin that makes you feel like you’re the one sinning just by being looked at.
you don’t know what to say. you don’t know how to act. you are not good with people like him — bold, unashamed, unholy in their beauty.
and then, one day, you see him laugh at something dahlia says.
and your brain — poor, sinful, overactive brain — betrays you.
what if they kissed.
what if venti leaned in just a little closer? what if dahlia grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in? what if they bickered in the vestry and made up in the candlelight? what if they fought like angels and kissed like sinners?
what if —
you choke.
you literally choke on the communion wafer you were holding.
and that night, you cry so hard your nose bleeds. you throw away your entire sketchpad. you kneel by your bedside for two hours whispering:
“i’m sorry, barbatos, i didn’t mean to think that, please don’t smite me, i love you, i swear—”
you do not know that the very archon you are apologizing to is the same man who winked at you from behind the altar that morning.
the sacristy is quiet that afternoon.
sun leaking through the stained-glass windows, filling the room with soft, holy light. you’re humming an old hymn under your breath, dahlia beside you in silence as he unwraps new votives. his sleeves are rolled up to the elbow. his hair’s a little messy. he smells like incense and old books.
you do not notice these things. not the way he keeps glancing at you. not the way his fingers brush yours when you pass him the lighter. not the way he looks at you like you’re made of everything he’s ever prayed for.
you’re too busy thinking about something else.
you say it like it’s nothing. a passing thought. just something that’s been on your mind lately, something you’ve written in your journal at least six times.
“you and venti look cute together.”
he drops the candle.
it clatters against the tile and rolls under a pew like it’s trying to escape the conversation entirely.
there is a long, painful silence.
“…what?”
dahlia says, voice flat. it echoes like thunder in the tiny room.
you don’t notice the horror in his face. or the way his hands suddenly go very still. you just keep going. calm. innocent. completely oblivious to the fact that you’ve just committed theological war crimes in front of the man who loves you.
“you have a nice dynamic,” you explain, as if you’re reviewing a fictional couple. “he’s playful, you’re sarcastic. it balances. it’s kind of cute, actually.”
a long, painful silence follows. the kind that feels like it should be filled with thunder. or at least divine punishment.
he stares at you.
he stares at you like you have just walked into the holy sanctuary with blood on your hands and a yaoi doujinshi in your pocket.
he doesn’t respond. he just slowly crouches to retrieve the runaway candle, jaw tight. you don’t notice the way his fingers shake. you go back to humming, completely unaware that you have just shattered his entire sense of spiritual and emotional stability.
that night, dahlia lies facedown in bed and screams into his pillow for forty-five minutes straight.
he kicks the mattress. he punches the air. he very nearly commits a second sin by almost tearing a page out of his favorite hymnbook.
“WHY IS THE GIRL I LOVE SHIPPING ME WITH OUR ARCHON,”
he whispers into the darkness, voice hoarse, soul crumbling.
“WITH OUR ARCHON—”
across the village, venti sneezes in his sleep and rolls over with a smile on his face.
venti finds out almost instantly.
not because you tell him — oh, no. you would never tell him. you can barely look him in the eye without panicking, let alone confess that you’ve been imagining him in blasphemous situations with your childhood best friend.
but he knows.
he knows because you keep praying about it.
because you whisper about it in the pews after choir practice, voice trembling, heart hammering, hands clutched so tightly around your rosary it creaks under the pressure.
because you write about it in your prayer journal with trembling ink-stained hands. entries like:
“dear lord barbatos, please forgive me for imagining brother dahlia pushing the bard against the chapel doors. i promise i am not corrupted. i simply have an active imagination.”
and venti — who is, unfortunately, the very god you’ve devoted your entire life to — the same god you whisper to in the quiet of dawn, the one you sing to in soft trembling alto every sunday, the one you imagine your brother dahlia kissing against the pulpit —
he reads every word.
it is, without a doubt, the most entertainment barbatos has had in the last hundred years.
so he feeds into it.
of course he does. he’s bored, and you’re adorable, and your devotion is a little bit insane in a way that delights him. how could he not?
he starts calling dahlia “dear.”
starts lingering too close during homilies. starts brushing hair out of dahlia’s face under the guise of fixing his collar. starts singing old hymns with lyrics suspiciously altered to sound romantic, staring directly at dahlia the whole time.
one day, he sighs dramatically and says,
“ah… if only i could be blessed with someone like you.”
while looking straight at him. right in the eyes.
you go home and sob.
you clutch your rosary like a lifeline. you cry into your prayer pillow. you tear out three journal pages and burn them in secret because they were too far gone. you fast the next day out of guilt and only drink holy water for dinner.
you do not know that venti is barbatos.
you do not know that the man you keep confessing to — your friend, the bard, the one you watch from behind the pews with wide eyes and sinful thoughts — is your actual god.
you do not know that dahlia has known this entire time. that he’s been silently suffering in the shadows of stained glass, listening to you gush about your “favorite dynamic” while internally screaming because your delusions now involve him and the anemo archon.
you are simply a girl.
a good girl.
a girl who wakes before dawn to pray.
who volunteers at sunday school and helps scrub candle wax off the floor.
who teaches children to sing hymns and then goes home to read yaoi behind her stack of devotional texts.
you are so, so devout.
you are so, so rotten.
and your god thinks it’s hilarious.
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reader be like 😭😭😭 preach
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cherryrikis · 10 months ago
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ONE LESS LONELY GIRL - 012 ! the talk
PAIRING idols riki x fem reader
SYNOPSIS fans always point out the chemistry between you and riki, and it only continues to grow after you become mc’s together on music bank. but as your feelings rise, so does the tension. and people begin to notice, so you try not to let riki know how you feel. but unbeknownst to you, he feels entirely the same way.
previous <> masterlist <> next
you woke up in an unfamiliar room, completely unsure of where you were. then you felt riki’s arm wrapped around your waist, and you realized, you were at his dorm.
you smiled contently, relaxing in his grasp once you became aware of your surroundings.
“five more minutes. there’s no schedule today..” he grumbled.
“good morning, boyfriend.” you smiled, turning around to face riki so you could hug him tightly.
“good morning my lovely girlfriend.” he sighed, placing a light kiss on your forehead. “let’s stay like this.”
“actually,” heeseung said as he barged into the room, with sunghoon and jungwon following behind. “we need to have the talk.”
riki looked at them confused, immediately sitting up as he reluctantly pulled away from you.
“the talk?” “not that talk! we mean, the ‘addressing the dating scandal and how you’ll tell the staff’ talk.”
“dumbass!” sunghoon exclaimed as he slapped heeseung’s shoulder. “you should’ve said ‘a talk’, not ‘the talk’.”
and so, you and riki sat in the living room on the couch, as the three elder boys stood in front of you.
“eventually, you guys are gonna have to tell the staff. and especially the managers. they might be more upset than bangpd.” jungwon informed. “sooner or later you’re gonna have to. so i think it should be within the next week.”
"wait- i thought we agreed we wouldn't say anything to the company unless they get caught somehow in public again." said sunghoon, interrupting jungwon.
"are you seriously gonna wait for them to get in a FOURTH scandal before releasing a statement? you should just rip off the bandaid already and do it now. just get it over with." heeseung replied.
"wouldn't this be the fifth?" sunghoon interrupted once more. "no, because the third time was just announcing they were gonna be mubank mcs, and a lot of people didn't like it. that wasn't a scandal." said jungwon.
"so what were the first three times?" he asked. "mubank incident, convenience store incident, dating scandal, and then if they're caught in public again this will be the fourth." jungwon sighed, growing tired of the conversation already.
"okay! enough is enough. you guys are getting way off topic.” heeseung exclaimed. “just do it tomorrow. it’s not up to you guys. it’s what’s best for the company.” he announced, before leaving the room.
sunghoon and jungwon shrugged in agreement before walking back upstairs.
“what are we gonna do?” riki asked as his head fell onto your shoulder.
“they’re right. the sooner we get it over with, the better.”
“but shouldn’t we wait? we only started dating yesterday. it feels too soon if they release an article by next week.”
“we don’t need to share the exact date, and they don’t have to publish any information we don’t want shared.” you comforted, taking his hands into yours.
“okay.” riki nodded. “i trust you princess. i’ll follow your lead.”
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TAGLIST (italics = couldnt be tagged) @hannicorpse @luvvhaerin @chaevibes @en-verse @ren2jay @choppedballoondetective @heartheejake @imanalien143 @istglevi-gotmesimping @yndairy @eleanorheartschishiya @lonelylandofan @gweoriz @jaemified @onlyhyunjin @softpia @frecklesbrownies @riksaes @wensurr @rikifordmiami @brideslit @ant-onie @yumilovesloona @aeminju @hoonics @catecita @clampclover @rei4sunoo @addictedtohobi @rikidaze @baekxo07 @xotyla @melancholy-z @rikisgeef @jung1w0n @tocupid @onlyseung @i03jae @iheartshopping @istphanie @queenriki7 @academiq @1117promises @nctislifue @haechansbbg @rairaiblog @nabia-bia @pkjay @lixiebokie @hiekoo @r1kizerr @d-dilemma @kingofthekards @iilwji @hoonatic @woorcve @enhaz1
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blitzwhore · 6 months ago
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wait, i don't understand, can u please if u want explain why they scrapped the "Stolitz Montage" song?
Yeah, I can explain! I actually have a lot of thoughts about these songs.
For context, at the beginning of Sinsmas, a song called Day By Day plays in the background while Blitz and Stolas run errands. Originally, a different song (untitled, so Sam Haft—the composer—unofficially called it Stolitz Montage) was going to play during these scenes, but they ended up scrapping it. I mentioned in the tags of a different post that I understood why they'd made this decision.
If you don't want to keep reading, my TL;DR is that I believe the tone and mood of Stolitz Montage doesn't fit Stolas' emotional journey in Sinsmas as well as Day By Day does.
If you do want to read my full personal analysis, keep reading below the cut!
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(Note: I'm going to focus on the songs' lyrics, because I'm not knowledgeable enough about music to analyse the musical aspect of the songs. If anyone else wants to add their thoughts in that regard, be my guest!)
Let's start by taking a look at the lyrics of the scrapped song, Stolitz Montage:
youtube
So you're having a bad time
You're stressing and everything all seems much so
You've been having a sad time
And your family probably hates your fucking guts so
The song starts by describing Stolas' situation and emotional state in the days following the trial: he is sad and overwhelmed, everything feels like "too much", and his family probably hates him.
It's pretty clear from the get-go that they wanted a song for this montage that conveyed Stolas' struggle to adapt to life as a commoner, away from everything he's known, and having gone cold turkey on his depression meds (the lack of which is emphasised visually throughout the song).
The song is also in second person: Stolas isn't him, or me, he's you. This is something both songs have in common. It keeps the song at a slight emotional distance from Stolas. Whereas a first-person song would make the feelings too personal—would make Stolas too aware of his own struggle—and a third-person song wound be too distant, the second person allows Stolas to be only passively aware of his emotional state. He's not the one singing; he's the one being sung about. What he's feeling is being pointed out to him by an external, seemingly omniscient voice.
The song continues:
Ooooh-oh oooh ooh
I know you feel it too
You lost your way
And just can't fake it for another day
It's hard to take it
Just pretend you're gonna be okay
Here is where I think the tone of the song starts to deviate from what they wanted to convey in this montage.
At first glance, this is a continuation of the previous verses, and mostly expands on Stolas' emotional state: "it's hard to take it"; "you lost your way".
The key difference is that the lyrical voice now plays an actual role in that emotional state.
First, it states that it shares Stolas' feelings ("I know you feel it too"—implying that Stolas isn't the only one who feels this way). Thus, the lyrical voice starts shifting into an active character within the scene. And not any kind of character—one that can relate to Stolas and, more importantly, one that can offer some comfort.
Then, there's the line "just pretend you're gonna be okay". Now, I see two possible interpretations for this line. It can either be a piece of advice for Stolas (hey, I know it's hard, but just pretend), or another description of his struggle, a continuation of the previous line: "(it's hard to) just pretend you're gonna be okay". Personally, I lean slightly towards the former interpretation, especially because the lyrical voice's intention to offer comfort and advice becomes clearer in the next line of the song:
You're not okay and that's okay
This is where the focus of the song shifts fully towards a hopeful, even optimistic view of Stolas' situation.
Now, I get where they were going with this. "It's okay to not be okay" is a very powerful thing to say to someone who's struggling with mental illness and hard life circumstances, and it's one Stolas badly needs to hear.
In fact, it is a message that is conveyed to Stolas multiple times throughout the episode. By Blitz. Not through words, of course—but through actions. In the montage itself, as well as throughout the rest of the episode, Blitz constantly stands by Stolas' side, offers him company and comfort, meets him where he's at emotionally, doesn't pressure him to be okay, and (especially at the end in their apartment) gives room for Stolas' sadness and grief to exist. He hugs Stolas, puts his hands on Stolas' arms, and opens up emotionally about his own sister, and those are all ways of showing Stolas that it's okay that Stolas isn't okay.
But here's the thing. The knowledge that it's okay to not be okay is Blitz's, not Stolas'. That is Blitz's emotional state, not Stolas'. Stolas doesn't know it's okay to not be okay, and even though Blitz keeps conveying this message to him, he's not able to hear it just yet. Not this early in his descent to rock bottom.
In fact, learning that it's okay to not be okay is a journey that Stolas only begins at the end of the episode. By then, Stolas still isn't okay, but he begins to come to terms with the fact that that's alright. And he does this by allowing Blitz to sit in silence with him, to dance with him, to pry a laugh from him, to hold him without any expectations of being held back. The final scene of the episode is all about them both being okay even though Stolas isn't. We see this in the fact that Stolas lets himself stay in Blitz's arms, going as far as closing his eyes. He's there. He's finally in the moment. He's finally allowing the "not okay" feelings in his body to just be.
The Stolitz Montage song ends with:
You put one foot in front of the other
Then you take it day by day
Knowing you got nothing
You still got each other
Ooooh-oh oooh ooh
Again, most of these lines do match Stolas' emotional state. In fact, the notion of just living life one day at a time, just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, is very representative of what a depressive episode can and does feel like.
But, in the very last line, the song shifts right back to a reassuring tone: "you still got each other".
Now, not only does the hopeful, optimistic sentiment of this line belong—once again—to Blitz's emotional state, it also goes directly against what the emotional arc of the episode aims to achieve.
Sinsmas isn't about them having each other—Sinsmas is about Stolas having Blitz.
It takes him all episode to realise this, too. At the beginning, when the montage takes place, Stolas is just going through the motions. As stated above, he's just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other—he's fully on survival mode. During the fight with Andrealphus, Stolas is shocked that Blitz came to save him, that he risked his life. That is the moment Stolas begins to truly comprehend that he can lean on Blitz. And then, after they get home, he slowly continues to learn it, as explained above. By the end of the episode, he's only just starting to allow himself to lean emotionally on Blitz.
And significantly, Blitz doesn't lean on Stolas. Because he's at a very different part of his own character arc, and he already had his opportunity to lean emotionally on those around him with Millie in Ghostfuckers, and to a lesser extent, with all his employees during their mission on Sinsmas.
Blitz has gone through enough pain, character growth, and healing to both understand exactly where Stolas is at, and be able to meet him there and be a rock for Stolas to lean on.
So the reason that line—that last line, positioned strategically to drive home its message that it's all gonna be okay—doesn't work for the montage is twofold. Firstly, because Stolas isn't ready to see that he has Blitz. Secondly, because it is now Blitz's turn to give comfort without needing to receive it in exchange.
And, if we take a look at the whole song, the reason it doesn't work for the scene is because it doesn't meet Stolas where he's at. The song says, "yes, you're sad, but—" and shifts to optimism. It doesn't fully allow Stolas to simply not be okay. To not be there yet. It doesn't fully allow his depression to just suck. The feelings of sadness and overwhelmingness are shadowed by a positivity and hope that belong to Blitz, and not Stolas.
Let's now take a look at Day By Day, and at which ideas from the original song were kept, which ones were changed, how, and why it works:
youtube
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
You take it day by day
You got everything that you had thought you wanted
But you still feel so blue
And you don't know what to do
Right off the bat, the lyrics are very similar in tone to the ones at the beginning of Stolitz Montage. Once again, a lyrical voice in the second person describes Stolas' emotional state: he's blue (sad), he's taking it day by day.
But there's already a change. "You have everything you thought you wanted, but you still feel so blue".
The fact that Stolas had always wanted a life with Blitz is something the previous song doesn't touch on whatsoever. And it matters, because "what Stolas thought he wanted" is a central part of his arc in the episode. It comes back during his breakdown at the office: "and I did it for what?! These stupid, foolish fantasies?" And it comes back again when Blitz saves him from Andrealphus, and when Blitz dances with him and their eyes meet afterwards.
As stated above, this is the episode where it dawns on Stolas that he has Blitz. But he isn't there yet at the beginning of the episode, and so he still believes what he and Blitz had was just a fantasy of his. And because he's never had anything with Blitz that wasn't a fantasy, because fantasy is all he knows, he doesn't immediately know what to do with the real thing. With the domesticity, and the errands. He doesn't recognise the signs Blitz is sending his way that he's got Blitz to lean on.
These two lines are also important because they bring forth another aspect of depression that the previous song doesn't: that love doesn't cure depression, or make it magically go away. That going cold turkey on your meds and having a massive depressive episode is going to suck no matter how many good things you have in this life, because depression is a biological process, not a state of mind. Depression takes away your ability to find joy in things that used to bring you it. It takes away your feelings, your energy, your strength.
Notice that Stolas doesn't seem apathetic or hollow inside on the night of the trial and the morning after. Yes, he's had his title and power stripped, he's been physically assaulted in the street, and yes, he's worried about Octavia. Obviously, he shows signs of being dissociated, and he's exhausted. But, emotionally, he's still hanging on. He still thanks Blitz for everything, and he talks to Blitz in the morning, and smiles when Blitz offers to get him rats. Before the effects of going cold turkey on his meds start to kick in, he's grateful to be around Blitz.
It's during the montage, as the days go by, that he starts feeling blue. Because depression is very quickly taking away the joy he found in Blitz's company.
And that's why, even in the first few lines, this song conveys Stolas' state of mind so much better than the previous one. Because while the message in Stolitz Montage was "yes, you're sad, but—", the message in Day By Day is "yes, you should be happy, but."
It lets the sad win over the happy. It lets depression take Stolas down with it, it lets him feel helpless and lost. "You still feel so blue, and you don't know what to do."
The song continues:
You're sitting at the end of the rainbow, but the pain grows
And you can't help let the strain show
'Cause what else are you to do?
These lines emphasise the ideas presented in the previous ones: that Stolas should be happy, but he isn't. That the pain that has planted itself in Stolas is growing. So much so that he can't help but let it show.
Stolas' helplessness, his slow descent into misery, are given the room to exist. Everything around him seems fine, but he's not fine. And he's not told that it's okay to not be fine. Because this is Stolas' emotional state we're exploring, and for him, it's not okay to not be fine right now. He's too busy going through the motions to grant himself that kind of mercy.
The song finishes:
Keep it calm, life goes on, and on, and on
Nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong
So why do I still feel this way?
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
You take it day by day
And, much like in the previous song, we get a small hint of what could be interpreted either as advice/reassurance from the lyrical voice, or as Stolas actively telling himself to pretend to be okay. "keep it calm, life goes on, nothing's wrong". In this case, though, I lean towards the latter interpretation for a very simple reason: the next line shifts to first person. "So why do I still feel this way?"
And that's the thing: once again, the hope and calm he's trying to make himself feel are immediately overpowered by his feelings of sadness. Once again, it's the sadness that wins over, and not the happiness. His depression is given room to drag him down, take him slowly towards rock bottom.
And once again, the last line—at least the last one before the chorus is repeated—is used to drive home the message of the song. But this time, the message is that, despite it all, despite having what he wanted, despite sitting at the end of the rainbow, despite trying to convince himself he's okay, he still feels sad. Because that's what depression does. No matter how many good things you have in your life, it drags you down.
And that message, in that last line, is delivered in the form of a question. "Why do I still feel this way?" This matters for two reasons. The first one is that it shows that Stolas isn't (fully) aware of what's happening to him. He obviously knows he needs his meds, he knows he should be taking them. We see him reach out for them. But he is also living his emotions, and not just experiencing them from the outside. And as the emotions take over, he loses perspective of where they come from, too caught up in how they're drowning him.
The second reason this matters is because the song and the lyrical voice don't offer Stolas answers.
In Stolitz Montage, Stolas gets an answer to his struggle: that, ultimately, [Blitz and Stolas] still got each other.
But in Day By Day, all Stolas gets are questions. What else are you to do? Why do I still feel this way?
Day By Day meets Stolas where he's at during the days leading up to Sinsmas after the trial. It allows for these questions to exist without an answer; it lets the answers come later in the episode. It lets his journey through the episode play out, allowing him to learn that he has Blitz, that he needs his meds, and that he has to be okay with the fact that things are not okay.
By the end of the episode, he can acknowledge that he made his choices and has to deal with the consequences. He starts to understand Blitz is by his side, willing to help him through this. That his relationship with Blitz might not feel like he thought it would, because he's too mentally ill and heart-broken to be there—but that they still have each other, they still love each other, and they'll be okay.
But during the montage, he's not there yet, and it wouldn't make sense for the song to be there, either.
So, yes, as cute and optimistic as Stolitz Montage is, and as glad as I am they released it anyways for us to enjoy, I believe the writers made the right decision by scrapping it for the episode.
If you read this far, thank you for your time! Please treat yourself to a glass of water for me, and feel free to share your thoughts ❤️
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traveler-at-heart · 2 years ago
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Game, Set, Match
Summary: Natasha Romanoff is a professional tennis player, struggling to go back to the top and win the US Open. Reluctant at first, she allows a sports journalist into her life... and a bit more.
Natasha Romanoff x Fem!R - Ya know it, fluffy af.
A/N: I love tennis and this was basically written for me. But @canvascoloredin is also a fan and thought, ok well, let's post it, maybe someone else will enjoy :)
“Thirty all”
She’s catching up, do something.
“Forty, thirty”
“Deuce”
“Come on, Natasha” her sister yells from the box.
Advantage, Romanoff.
Game, set, match. Natasha Romanoff.
Everything that happens after is a blur. Natasha feels like she just played the final, but in reality, it’s just the first round.
“Way to go, darling” her mother compliments when she’s back in the locker rooms, but Fury is quickly behind, not holding back.
“Three sets against an amateur and you won because she got nervous and got a double fault. That’s not good” 
“I beat her, didn’t I?” Natasha averts her eyes, putting on her jacket to go to the press room.
“Barely” her trainer mumbles. 
Natasha’s heart beats fast as she sits in front of all the journalists. They were warned about the questions they could ask, but still. Natasha feels all eyes on her, judging her reaction and demeanor.
“Did you worry about losing control at the start of the third set?” a man in the front row asks.
“It was the defining moment of the game, so I felt like I had to push myself harder and control the rhythm of the match. Which obviously happened”
“How was it to go back after your break? Unlike other players, you didn’t participate in any tournaments between Wimbledon and this”
“I’ve been playing tennis all my life, really, so it doesn’t feel like a big deal to me. Just because I wasn’t playing to win titles doesn’t mean I didn’t train” 
Natasha hears Fury cough and has to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
Control your temper, he’s trying to say.
Well, maybe they shouldn’t ask stupid questions.
--
You’re sitting in the middle of the press room, eyes trained on Natasha. She’s looking anywhere but you. 
I guess this means she read my column.
The conference is coming to an end, so you raise your hand and the assistant points at you.
“We have time for one more” he concedes.
“That’s enough for today” Natasha shuts it down before you can ask. 
Yeah, she definitely read the article.
Natasha can’t wait to get out of there, thanking the press before sprinting out of the room. You consider following her, but a text from your boss stops you.
Go to LA Stadium, Wanda Maximoff just bageled some poor girl.
With a bit of luck, you’ll get an exclusive with Wanda.
--
The biggest crime of Shostakov
It was a Tuesday afternoon, well into the second week of Wimbledon, when the news broke out. Alexei Shostakov, retired tennis player, was arrested for fraud and tax evasion. While in custody, it was discovered Shostakov was in possession of drugs.
The famous Red Guardian, who once had won on that very same club, was now dragged away in a patrol car, stripped of his days of glory. For people who are well versed in the history of tennis, this doesn’t come as a complete shock. Shostakov was a notorious trouble maker, often breaking rackets, ripping his shirts open and getting expelled from a total of 15 matches during the entire run of his career.
No one seemed more affected by the news than his protegee and adoptive daughter, Natasha Romanoff. The favorite to win the world’s most important Grand Slam retired amid the breaking news. As a result, Wanda Maximoff’s path to the trophy was an easy one, taking the number 1 from Romanoff while she was at it.
If her career depends on Alexei’s ability to get back on his feet, Natasha Romanoff should retire now.
In her best form, Romanoff is stealthy, precise and absolutely lethal. Her movements reminisce those of a ballerina; one that gracefully dances across the court -doesn’t matter if it’s grass, clay or hard- to deliver blow after blow of brilliance. Natasha has raw talent, pure heart and an unbreakable spirit.
The biggest crime of Shostakov, is that he’s in the way of her greatness. Maybe it’s his ego or a compulsion to attach himself to a woman who has the capacity to break every record from the Open Era.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear she’s better off without him. For those of us who love this sport, and want Natasha to be the champion she was meant to be, this is an unique opportunity to watch her finally emerge from the shadows of the overbearing man.
The proverbial ball is in Romanoff’s court. In all her brilliance, the one thing Natasha rarely does is take risks.
It’s never too late to start.
--
“We’re finishing the second day of the US Open and we have some major upsets. Carol Danvers, number 3 in the world and only American in the top ten lost to Brit Peggy Carter” you say, holding the mic and looking at the camera.
“I understand there was some excitement on the man’s singles” you hear Maria say on your earpiece and you nod.
“Queens had a face off with Brooklyn today. Bucky Barnes defeated amateur Peter Parker, but get this! They played five sets, and Peter won every tiebreak. So it seems like we have some exciting new talent”
“We’ll keep an eye on him, for sure. Thanks for the report, Y/N!”
“A pleasure as usual, Maria. Greetings to everyone back on the studio” 
“And cut” Darcy, your producer says. You remove the earpiece and hand over the mic. As you turn around, you spot Natasha training. It’s obvious you’re staring when Darcy speaks.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, you know? You wrote what a lot of people were thinking”
“Well, seems like she doesn’t wanna hear it”
“It’s fine. I mean, it would be better if we could get a quote from her or an interview but if she hates you that much we can get someone else to do it”
“Or, I could go and try to talk to her?”
“So you have a death wish!”
“Didn’t you just say I did nothing wrong?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean she’ll listen. I am also legally obligated to tell you that your health insurance doesn’t cover injuries caused by tennis balls. Or rackets”
“Very funny”
--
“Relax your wrist” Fury instructs once again and Natasha ignores him, as usual.
She hates the press, the interviews, the hoops she has to jump through just so she can play tennis. 
None of it is optional and she has to follow the rules, something Natasha is particularly bad at.
“If you want to move to the next round you’re gonna have to listen to me”
Does she really want to move to the next round? Is there a point to all of this? She had lost her number one ranking and people were focusing more on her private life than her career.
Fury spots you across the court and smiles. 
You nod your head towards the man and he sighs, defeated.
“Can you talk some sense into her?” 
“Can anyone?” you say and he pats you on the back, leaving the court. The sun is setting and people are going home, ready to return tomorrow to watch the next round of players. You greet Natasha but she ignores you.
“You owe me a question” you try to joke, as she keeps hitting the ball so hard you think her racket will break in half. 
“I know who you are and I’m not talking to you” 
She looks hot when she’s pissed.
You push those thoughts away.
“Natasha”
“No, you and I are not on a first name basis. Not after you wrote all that crap about me without knowing me” 
“I only spoke the truth” 
“That my career is doomed and I should retire?” she finally stops throwing balls across the court and turns to look at you.
“Oh, my God! You didn’t even read it, did you?”
“I don’t need to. I know what everyone's been saying ever since Alexei was arrested. I know he was unconventional, but he was my trainer. He was beside me through the good and bad” 
“I get it, ok? He’s your family. And your trainer. That’s never easy and I understand how it can be hard to see things objectively. But,  Natasha, you are great in spite of him, not because of him”
That makes her pause.
“Nick Fury came out of retirement to train you. That’s how talented you are!”
The redhead serves a couple of times, staying completely silent.
“I’m not talking to you” she reminds you. 
“You’re the best player out there, Natasha. And right now you’re the only thing getting in the way of your success” 
--
Morning comes and so does the next match. Natasha is looking out the window of the suite, as people come and go around the busy streets of the tennis center.
Fury steps in, immediately aware of her nervous energy. If he asks if she’s ready, she’ll probably rip his head off. So, talking about something different might be the way to go.
“Her father was also a sports journalist,” he says, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.
“Who?” 
“Y/N. Richard was a single parent, so he’d always bring her to the games, even as a baby. She behaved better than most people too” 
“Is he retired?” 
“Nope. Cancer. Four years ago” Fury sits in front of Natasha. “Didn’t expect her to follow his steps, but that girl really knows sports. She’s working with the local station, and also writes for Sports Illustrated”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Never hurts to have a couple of friends around,” he says, sipping from his glass.
“I’m not good at making friends” Natasha looks away.
“Yeah, I know. You’re good at tennis, so…” the man checks his watch and stands up. “Let’s kick some ass”
--
Natasha has to face Kate Bishop, currently ranked 24. Her game is the opposite of aggressive, but she’s famous for her impeccable aim. Natasha has to control the game from the start if she wants to win.
She serves first, and as she bounces the ball, preparing her stance, Fury’s words echo in her head. All the advice he has given her for the past months, advice that she has consistently ignored.
Then, as she throws the ball, her eyes meet yours. You’re sitting in the front row, leaning forward. 
In a split second, she makes a decision.
Natasha is ready to take risks.
She aims for the corner of the service box, hoping it will fall inside. Kate lunges forward, shocked at the speed of the ball.
“Ace” the umpire announces. “Fifteen love” 
Natasha sees you clapping and can hear Fury shouting “That’s it, you can do this, Romanoff”
And boy, does she deliver. Kate is running across the court. Natasha’s unforced errors are incredibly low. While the crowd usually loves long games, the redhead is a legend and they’re excited to see her prowess first hand. 
The game ends in 47 minutes, 6-3, 6-2.
Kate approaches the net and shakes Natasha’s hand.
“That was… incredible, Romanoff”
“Thank you, Kate” 
The kind words and the genuine admiration make Natasha relax instantly.
Of course, the crowd goes wild as the redhead lifts her arms, clapping and waving. 
She’s in such a good mood that she decides she’ll finally take your question. But as she enters the press room, you’re nowhere to be found. 
Still, she chats and even jokes around with the journalists present.
Once again, the entire family celebrates as if Natasha had already won the Grand Slam.
“Seestra, the crowd was going craaaazy, it was like a Taylor Swift concert” Yelena tells her excitedly as they eat. Natasha’s starving, so nervous about today that she didn’t even have breakfast.
They keep chatting, talking about strategy for the next game and wondering who will go against Natasha next. 
“Natalia, your father wants to talk to you” Melina interrupts, holding her phone.
“Why?” Natasha snaps, going back to her stoic self.
“He wants to congratulate you,” the woman insists.
“I’m not in the mood. Excuse me” she stands up, losing her appetite.
Out on the terrace, she watches people passing by, trying to think of anything else but Alexei.
Your words come back to her, and she starts to believe them.
You are great in spite of him.
“Hey, there you are!” you shout from the bottom of the stairs, waving. “Do you have a sec?”
Natasha nods, going down. 
“First of all, wow. Brava”
“You wanted something?” she rolls her eyes, but you notice she blushes lightly.
It’s quite the view, Natasha’s body covered in sweat from the physical exertion, her sculpted arms in full display.
That tennis outfit looks really good on her.
“Oh.. yeah. Do you, uh, have time to meet a fan? She’s a little girl and you’re her favorite player”
“Of course” 
“Awesome, come with me!” you take her by the hand.
Natasha tries to ignore the tingling feeling she gets as she’s dragged around the center. Some people recognise her, but you’re walking fast and they don’t have the chance to stop her for a picture.
“Hey, Ava!” you greet the little girl, who’s holding a big tennis ball and a black marker. “Natasha, meet Ava. She’s your number one fan” 
“Hi,” the girl says shyly. She’s about nine, her mother standing next to her and smiling.
“Hi, Ava. It’s so nice to meet you” Natasha greets. “How are you liking the tournament so far?” 
“Uh, it was great, and you were so awesome today!”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it. Would you like me to sign that?”
“Yes, please!” her arms shoot forward, anxiously. 
“What other players would you like to meet?” Natasha says, as she signs the ball.
“Maybe Peter Parker… We met Carol Danvers, Bucky Barnes and also, Wanda”
Yeah, Natasha didn’t miss the way Maximoff signed the ball. 
From the number 1 player to the number 1 fan. 
So pretentious.
“That’s nice,” Natasha says, handing the ball back.
“Alright, let’s take a picture” you pull out your phone. Natasha kneels to be closer to Ava, and then places her tennis hat on the girl’s head.
“You can have it” Natasha smiles and is surprised when she gets a very enthusiastic hug. Her mother has to practically drag her away from where you’re standing, Ava turning around every couple of steps to wave at Natasha.
“Thank you, Nat,” you say, smiling.
“It’s not a problem. I didn’t see you in today’s press conference”
“That’s because it’s my day off” you say, surprised that she noticed your absence.
“What about that thing?” she points at the badge hanging from your neck that reads Press.
“That’s how I get in for free, duh” 
“Sneaky” 
“I can be” you shrug your shoulders and then turn back to your phone. “Hey, so can I send this to your PR team for them to post it?” 
“You don’t have to” 
“Fine, I’ll post it on my feed and tag you. Alright, gotta go. Have to cheer for Bucky” you say, taking her hand one last time. “Once again, thank you. And congrats. You were fantastic”
“I owe you a question” she calls when you’re walking away.
“I’m saving it for when you win the championship” you wink and she smiles, scratching the side of her neck nervously.
Later that day, her phone is blasting with notifications.
“Almost one million likes, Natasha” Yelena shows her the picture you uploaded of her and Ava.
“Is that good or bad?” the redhead shrugs her shoulders and her sister rolls her eyes.
“You’re so uncool!” 
However, she knows enough about Instagram to find your profile, going through your feed. Most of the pictures are from different games, some hangout with friends, the most frequent ones being Barnes and a pro that plays for the Yankees, Sam Wilson.
She’s about to close the app when two things that are equally horrible happen.
First, she likes one of your pictures from two years ago.
Second, she gets a message.
OfficialWandaMaximoff: Congrats on your win today <3
--
Bucky just lost the second set and is down on the third one. You keep refreshing the feed as you wait next to other journalists for Wanda Maximoff. 
Of course she’s in the quarter finals, that’s hardly a shock. Everyone’s waiting for her to face Natasha in the finals. When it happens, you’re obviously rooting for Nat.
Speaking of which…
@SportsBrooklyn: Good luck tomorrow! 
@NatashaROfficial followed you back
@NatashaROfficial: Do you only use Instagram or can you text like a normal person?
@SportsBrooklyn: Oh, right, text you to the number I don’t have!
Wanda walks in that moment and you lock your phone. Her auburn hair is tied in a high ponytail, and she changed to her signature red windbreaker and black pants.
You’re busy taking notes when your phone pings again. To your surprise, Natasha actually gave you her phone number.
@NatashaROfficial: If you share it with anyone else I’ll choke you
@SportsBrooklyn: Kinky ;)
The press conference ends and you practically sprint out to see if you can catch the rest of Bucky’s game.
You have to settle for the screens on the Champions Bar, comforted by the fact that Bucky seems to be ahead on the third set. As soon as he wins it, you stand up, knowing the break is the perfect time to slip into the player’s box.
“I’m so sorry” you say as you crash into none other than Wanda Maximoff. She grabs your arm to steady herself, smiling to ease you.
“That’s alright. You’re in a hurry?” she says, turning at the screen. 
“A bit, yeah” 
“I wish someone as cute as you was rooting for me” she smiles, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. She’s flirting? Oh boy. “I noticed you looking at your phone during the press conference. Barnes is a lucky guy” 
“Oh, we’re not…” 
“Here I was thinking he was smarter than that”
There’s a sense of urgency to go before the break is over, but you’re also completely confused. Why is Wanda Maximoff taking an interest in a local reporter? You’re vaguely aware that her eyes drift somewhere behind you from time to time, but before you can turn and have a look, she pulls your press badge and smiles.
“If you ever want an exclusive, just let me know, Y/N…” she reads the name from your press badge and walks away, leaving you completely confused.
--
Natasha watches the entire interaction from her small table. She needed a break so she decided to put on a hat and glasses, to get a drink without being recognised.
Wanda was all over you, giggling and looking Natasha’s way as much as she could, to let her know this was entirely to upset her.
All Natasha wanted to do was stand up and take you away from Wanda. You were too good for someone like Maximoff.
Wanda thought she was making Natasha jealous. 
She was right, but not in the way she would have wanted to.
--
“Maybe it’s time I retire” 
“You’re 28” 
“Might as well be 100 in tennis years” 
“Buck” you nudge him.
You’re looking out the Brooklyn Bridge, trying to cheer up your best friend after losing in the round of 16.
“You won the Australian Open this year” 
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. See? I’m senile” he mumbles, still grumpy.
“You did great, and you’re still in the top five, Grumpa. Ha! See what I did there?” he rolls his eyes and you smile, pulling him back to the street. “Come on, Sam is waiting for us to have some lunch” 
“Ok, but it’s on you because I’ll be broke once I retire” 
“Yeah, yeah” you roll your eyes, looping your arms together and dragging him to your favorite dinner. Sam’s already there, chatting around with everyone that recognises him.
All eyes turn to you as he stands up and practically shouts.
“How’s my favorite girl?” Sam greets you and then slaps Bucky’s shoulder. “Don’t make that face, man. You won the aussie one”
“That’s what I told him” 
Bucky takes his jacket off and orders a beer as soon as the waiter approaches you; even if it’s only noon, you let it slide.
You get a text from Darcy, asking if you’re watching the game.
Your mind instantly goes to Natasha. Did she lose? No, that can’t be. She was playing against Van Dyne, who was only there because of a wild card. You turn to one of the screens and ask the waiter to change the channel. 
“She’s winning” you say, still not understanding what Darcy meant.
“Why does she look so upset, then?” Sam points out.
Natasha is arguing with the umpire. You recognise him immediately.
“I hate that guy,” Bucky says, echoing your thoughts.
“Jarvis… something. Stone?” 
“Yeah, a total asshole. Wouldn’t give me a point I clearly won on Wimbledon because the other player was also a Brit” 
The argument ends and she keeps playing. Her forehand is killer today.
“Wow” Bucky says at the same time as you gasp.
“Man, I feel so dumb right now” Sam is looking between both of you, not knowing what caused your reaction.
“Just now? It’s more like, always” Bucky teases and Sam glares. He rolls his eyes and points at the screen. “Van Dyne hit after a double bounce. That’s not allowed. But Stone clearly doesn’t give a shit. He’s giving her the point”
“Natasha stopped playing because she saw it. He claims he didn’t so in his mind, she lost this one” you keep explaining.
“If Hope had a little bit of integrity, she’d concede the point or play it again”
“Well, she’s losing so she’ll take all the help she can get” you say. 
Natasha’s rage fuels her after this and she ends up winning, the second set a devastating 6-0.
However, the two men on the screen are being unsurprisingly critical of her. Your stomach turns when you hear the words “emotional” and “aggressive” thrown around.
Even if it’s a long shot, you try calling her. Phone’s off.
If you’re lucky, you’ll manage to see her once you get back to the stadium.
--
“Turn it off,” Natasha grumbles. Fury is watching the news in the living room. 
“I wanna see the highlights of other players. Prepare for what’s coming next. If you don’t like it, leave the room” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand.
After the game, Natasha did the mandatory press conference, went back to the lockers, destroyed two rackets, took a shower and then looked out the window for the better part of the day. 
She wasn’t in the mood to do anything and she didn’t want to turn on her phone. The temptation to read what the press and public had to say about her after today’s argument with the umpire was too big.
“Y/N, how are things at the US Open?” Maria Hill says. The screen splits, your image appearing on the right side.
“Exciting names on both sides for the semis. We have Thor against Banner, and T'Challa faces Namor for a spot in the semis. As for the ladies, Maximoff breezed through the match against Jean Gray”
“Well, I understand Romanoff didn’t have it so easy,” Maria says. 
From her seat, Natasha holds her breath. Yelena walks in at that exact moment, watching her sister closely.
“You know, I find it unbelievable that an umpire at the US Open could make such a poor call, not once but twice. First, with the hindrance call against Natasha and then by completely ignoring the double bounce before Van Dyne hit the ball” you say, clearly upset. “We’ve seen time and time again that some umpires are not up to the standards set by Grand Slams. And to my fellow journalists who like to throw around words like emotional, better save that energy for the men that smash their rackets just because they lost a point. As we all saw, Romanoff was in her right to demand fairness and she did it with the utmost respect” 
“Yes, I completely agree with you” Maria nods, clearly regretting even asking about it. “Well, let us chat tomorrow after we have the final for the men” 
“Of course, Maria,” you nod.
Natasha tries really hard, but she can’t help but smile at your words.
Yelena arches her eyebrows.
Well, this is interesting.
--
Natasha refuses to leave her room, arguing she’s not hungry. Melina, Yelena and Fury leave her alone, but the sudden silence becomes too much. There’s no noise to stop her thoughts from spiraling.
With a sigh, she turns on her phone. Two messages come through.
Y/N: Sorry about today. That umpire sucks :( 
Y/N: Bucky hates him too
Next thing she sees is a picture of Bucky and you holding your middle fingers to the screen with Jarvis’ face. Natasha chuckles at that.
She also zooms in, checking that your other hand is very close to Bucky’s. She feels a pang of jealousy that is interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Room service” a strange voice says.
“I didn’t order any..:” she says, but finds you smiling on the other side of the door.
“Gotcha” 
“What are you doing here?” the redhead can’t help but smile. You’re wearing a black leather jacket, a white tee and skin tight jeans. She’s torn between admiring your figure and paying attention to what you say next.
“Little bird told me you were very upset and you might need a distraction” 
“I’m gonna kill Fury” 
“Not Nick. Your sister. And are we gonna find something to eat by standing here or…?”
“I’m not hungry” 
“We’re going, Natasha. Go get changed” you push past her, tired of waiting around in the hallway. She’s taken aback by your forwardness. Her mother and sister would usually let her get away with anything.
“Where are we going?” she asks, hoping you won’t go all the way to her room and pick an outfit for her.
“Something casual will do” 
She changes as fast as she can, taking her phone and some money with her. You nod approvingly and then open the door, peeking around the hallway.
“This little field trip is not Fury approved so let’s be discreet about it” you inform her, taking her hand to lead the way to the elevator.
“Oh, yeah, this is super discreet” Natasha complains as you lead her to an electrical carriage. 
“Have a little fun, why don’t you?” you climb up, offering your hand. She takes and sits next to you. Natasha resists the urge to put a strand of hair behind your ear as you lean forward to give the address.
You feel her eyes on you, so you turn back, smiling and blushing lightly. 
It’s a short ride, and soon after you enter a small diner.
“Hey, Y/N” the owner greets you. “My, this must be a special occasion” she leans towards Natasha and whispers. “She’s never brought a girl over”
“Ok, Pat! Natasha is just a friend” you clarify, blushing in the process. Natasha laughs at you.
“Why? She’s pretty. You need to start dating” Pat says, leaving two menus.
“Don’t bother” you stop Natasha as she starts reading it. “She’ll bring us whatever she wants. But it will be worth it, I promise”
“Do you come here often?”
“My dad couldn’t cook if his life depended on it. But he was always good at finding the best spots to eat. So we came here all the time during the US Open and then later when Bucky started training”
Natasha nods and looks away. 
“So, you’re not dating Barnes either?” she says, looking anywhere but you. It’s embarrassing how much she cares.
“Uh.. no. He’s like a brother to me. His parents worked a lot so he’d tag along to games with us, and we grew up together” you wait until she turns to look at you. “Can I ask now?”
“Is this off the record?”
“Do you see my press badge anywhere?”
“One never knows with you people”
“Ouch, Natasha” the redhead laughs but you ask anyway. “Are you dating anyone? You’ve never been public about it”
“I’m not, no. I just don’t think I’d be able to find the balance. Between tennis and a partner. And my public and private life”
“Fair enough” you say. Pat approaches with milkshakes, cheeseburgers and fries.
“I hope you girls are hungry”
“Starving” 
“Fury’s gonna kill me” Natasha sighs, but then dips a fry in the milkshake and practically moans at the taste.
Your mouth is hanging wide open, and your teeth clash at how fast you shut it when Natasha turns to you.
“You’re right, this is worth it”
The rest of the night is spent eating and talking about everything but tennis. You learn that Natasha likes to bake in her free time, and that Yelena is taking a sabbatical before moving to New York to study at NYU.
After finishing your food, you both agree that walking back will be the best idea. 
“I’m so full” you complain as you enter through the back, too scared to be caught by Fury. Natasha walks in the opposite direction of the foyer. “Uh, what are you doing? I don’t want your coach all over my ass if you’re missing” 
“Have a little fun, why don’t you?” she echoes your words from before and you have no choice but to follow her. You end up on a tennis court, balls scattered around the floor.
“Do you practice here?”
“If I can’t sleep” Natasha picks up a ball and a racket and hands it to you.
“Can I help you?”
“Play with me”
“I can’t even serve, Natasha”
“Well, would you like to learn?” she says with a smirk and you can’t resist it.
“Fine. But after that, you go back to your room”
“Stance first” Natasha instructs. She corrects your posture and movements a couple of times, inching closer until she’s whispering instructions in your ear. The last thing she does is put her hands over yours to make sure your grip is tight. “Show me what you got”
She steps away and you miss her presence instantly. Trying to remember everything she told you, you toss the ball in the air and swing a little too hard. You trip over your own feet, but Natasha moves forward and catches you before you fall.
“You ok?” she says and you nod.
“How did I do, coach?” you steady yourself, holding her close to you. Your eyes travel to her lips, and you’re both out of breath from laughing.
Neither one can tell who leans first, but the fact is that you do and you discover, with great pleasure and no surprise, that Natasha is an excellent kisser. Her lips are soft against yours and she pulls you closer by your waist.
“Is this a new way of interviewing people, Y/L/N?” 
Oh, shit.
You break apart and turn to Fury, who looks very much not impressed.
“The only cardio you’re allowed to do until this slam is over is at the gym, Romanoff. Back to your room, now” 
“I’m not a little girl you can boss around,” Natasha protests.
“Come on, you should rest. We’ll talk later” you don’t want her to start arguing with Fury, not now that she’s finally listening to him. Natasha turns to you and nods, squeezing your hand one last time before going back to the hotel.
“I don’t want her distracted,” Fury says and you nod. 
“I wasn’t trying to… I won’t get in her way, Nick. I want her to win”
“Glad we understand each other. Now go home” 
He turns to leave and you wait for a little bit, trying to calm down after a mindblowing kiss. As you’re about to leave, you spot a yellow bracelet on the ground. You’ve seen Natasha wearing one before, but you’re too scared of Fury to go back now.
Tomorrow will be a new day for all of you.
--
“Keep your leg behind the ball” Fury instructs. Natasha has been listening to every single thing he says.
Yes, she’s nervous about the semis. And Fury’s the only one that can understand the feeling or help her play better.
“I want you focused,” he says as she walks to dry her hands.
“I am”
“You know what I mean” he says and as if on cue, you walk up to the court, waving. Natasha places the racket down and approaches you. “Practice isn’t over, Romanoff!”
“Five minutes” she asks, meeting you on the edge of the court.
“Hi”
“Hi” she says back. Her eyes go down to your lips and your heart flutters.
“Uh, you left… I think this is yours” you remember to speak, showing the yellow bracelet.
“Yes, thank you. Do you mind?” Natasha extends her hand and you put it around her wrist. “Yelena gave it to me before my first match. It’s my lucky charm”
“Well, good thing I saw it”
“Maybe you’ll be my next lucky charm”
“Oh? Am I supposed to be at every game from now on?” you smile, nodding when you’re done with the bracelet.
“I really wanna kiss you” Natasha blurts out and you blush. “But…”
“There are people watching and Fury doesn’t look happy either”
“He never does. Can I call you later?”
“Yes, you definitely can”
You want to kiss her so bad, damn it.
“Come on, go back, before Fury kicks me out of the court”
Natasha nods, squeezing your hand gently.
The way Natasha looks at you makes you all kinds of flustered, so you leave in a hurry before your desire takes over and you end up kissing her in front of all these people.
Once again, you run into Wanda Maximoff, only this time she doesn’t smile at all.
“She’s quite the player, right?” she says with a cold voice, her accent a bit thicker.
“Uh- yes. Natasha is a very talented pro”
“Oh, that’s not what I meant” she takes a step forward and looks you up and down. “Natasha likes to fuck around. But she always comes back to me”
“You’re… together?” your heart drops. Natasha wouldn’t lie to you about this.
Would she?
“Look, of course she wants to get distracted and she’ll use anyone that is dumb enough to fall for it. But don’t forget, she and I have history. And that’s stronger than whatever it is you think you have with Natasha”
No one is around to save you from this horrible conversation. You don’t want to argue with Wanda, because you’re still a journalist and it’s your job to be on the players’ good side.
But the reckless part of you wants to tell her to fuck off.
You sigh and look down. Wanda takes this as a sign of defeat and smiles, leaving you standing there.
It takes a minute for you to snap out of it, and you look around, desperate to walk away from everything that just happened.
“You’re seriously telling me you know nothing?” you ask Bucky for the tenth time.
“I don’t pay attention to rumors” he shrugs his shoulders, and you roll your eyes at him.
He’s sitting on your couch, the movie long forgotten. You nudge him with your foot and glare.
“Your best friend is a journalist, you should know better. You’re my insider into this crap”
“I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m just not on the loop of who dates who on the women’s side. But I am not surprised Wanda scared you. Heard she can be batshit crazy”
“She didn’t scare me” you mumble. The both of you sit in silence for a while, until your phones ping simultaneuosly.
Thankfully, it’s not Nat. Right now, you don’t even know what to say to her.
“Sam. Probably to brag about his date in that fancy restaurant” Bucky tells you, but his eyes widen as he reads the message. “Wow. You need to look at this”
He hands you the phone and you read the conversation. It’s your group chat and Sam just sent a picture of Jarvis Stone, who is having dinner with none other than Wanda Maximoff.
“What the actual fu…”
“So that’s why he was being a dick to Natasha” Bucky says. “You’re not telling her about this, are you?”
“No, of course not. She has the semis tomorrow and I don’t want to distract her”
You look at your phone and press send before you chicken out.
Y/N: Can we talk tomorrow?
YBelova: Sure
You’re waiting by the entrance to Arthur Ashe, looking around.  Even if Maximoff’s match is later, you are still dreading to spot Wanda.
“Hey” Yelena says and you jump like a coward. “Wow, relax, it’s me”
“I’m sorry to be meeting you like this. I didn’t want to bother Natasha, especially today… she has enough on her plate”
“It’s ok, you can trust me”
“I know I can… it’s not easy to ask this, but do you know if Wanda and Natasha had a… thing? Like a relationship”
“Are you asking as a journalist?” the blonde says, clearly on edge.
“No, it’s not like that! Natasha and I… we kissed. And then Wanda told me yesterday that Natasha is just fooling around because she always comes back to her… and that’s weird but then a friend sent me this. It’s from last night”
“That’s the umpire that was a jerk to Tasha” Yelena takes your phone, looking at it in desbelief. “That bitch is still pulling this shit”
“If it had been only about us, I would have waited until Natasha finished her match. But it seems to me, like Wanda is trying to play dirty here”
Yelena sighs and hands the phone back. She looks around and steps closer, lowering her voice.
“Yes, they dated. Kept it a secret. It was on and off, especially when they were playing against each other. Wanda didn’t like to lose and then, after a while, she began to mess around with Nat. She would have a fight with her before a big match, even if they weren’t playing each other. Made Natasha lose her cool and struggle. They really haven’t spoken since the AO”
“What do we do? I don’t want her to mess with Natasha. I won’t let Wanda get in her way”
“I’ll speak to Fury about this. He knows everything. I’ll let you know what he says”
“Didn’t know you two were friends now”
A voice calls from behind you.
“Seestra, hey!” Yelena steps forward to give you time to recover. “Y/N was just telling me about her time at NYU”
“Is that so?” the redhead looks between you two and you nod.
She stills makes you nervous and flustered.
“Alright, my presence is no longer required” Yelena complains, but still gives you a meaningful look as she walks away.
“I have to warm up, will you stay for the game?” she asks, stepping closer.
“Yes, of course I will. I’ll be screaming your name” you blurt out and then blush. “I mean, rooting for you. Didn’t mean it to sound like that”
“Sounds good to me” she says, coming closer. “Can I have a good luck kiss?”
You look at her smile, her beautiful green eyes. Think about all the times she’s been kind and funny and brave. And you also think about how someone played with her heart just for a stupid title.
So you nod and lean forward, kissing her gently.
Natasha deserves to win, not only because she’s the better player. She’s the better person.
“Go win this thing” you say against her lips and she smiles, pecking your lips one last time.
Natasha’s win is not a surprise to you, considering the level of her recent games. You still have to stick around for the Maximoff match, opting to stay far away from the press room once she wins.
So, it’s down to the two of them in the final.
You’ve never wished for Natasha to win something so much until today.
Work keeps you busy enough. Both of the men’s semis take a combined time of eight hours and you end up completely exhausted, seriously considering just sleeping in one of the locker rooms.
You haven’t heard from Natasha but it’s understandable. She’s playing for the championship tomorrow, and knowing Fury, he will be preparing her in every way possible.
As you get a cup of coffee from one of the last stands open, your phone pings again.
Natasha: Are you still here?
Y/N: Yes :(
Natasha: Meet me in court 17?
Y/N: Yes :)
When you finally get there, you find Natasha serving a couple of times, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
“Is Fury ok with you staying up so late?”
“I did everything he said today. I think I deserve this one thing” she smiles, walking towards you. “You look a bit tired”
“Jeez, thanks”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Ugh, Yelena is right, I have no game off court”
You laugh at that, taking her hands in yours.
“It’s fine, I was just teasing you” you say, looking as her eyes drift towards your lips. You both lean forward, sharing a kiss.
“Thank you” Natasha says.
“Uh, you’re welcome?”
“I don’t mean the kiss, no. Thank you for telling Yelena that thing about… Wanda”
“Oh”
Natasha walks with you to one of the chairs and you sit together.
“I haven’t spoken to her in months. And I don’t want to be with her. I need you to know that”
“But still… you said you’re not sure you want a relationship, right? It would be too much trouble”
“I think it might be worth the effort for you” she confesses and you smile.
“You do have game”
“I do?”
“Tiny bit. We’ll work on it”
She laughs, and you sit in silence for a moment.
“I made my debut in this court”
“I know”
“How…?”
You sigh. Since you’re sharing stories…
“After my dad died, I kinda took distance from the things we did together. That included all kinds of sports. It was a painful reminder. And then, as the USO was starting, I realised he had already bought our tickets. So I came here, walked around a bit. And then I saw you”
Natasha smiles, squeezing your hand.
“Your hair was shorter, and you were wearing a weird orange top with green shorts” you frown as you remember how awful it looked.
“My mom chose it for me!” the redhead buries her face in her hands and you laugh. You take them in yours as you continue the story.
“You were amazing that day. Controlled, precise… I forgot for a little while about how sad I was. And after you won, I came back everyday to watch you play”
“Thank you for telling me that. I wish I could have known your father”
“I would have liked that too”
There’s silence as you both think about your own journies, the things that brought you to this moment.
“Come on, we should go. You need your rest” you stand up, offering your hand to Natasha. She thinks for a moment before taking it, but instead of standing up she pulls you down until you’re sitting on her lap, your legs around her.
“Nat?” you gulp, blushing at how close you are.
“Tell me to stop and I’ll stop” she whispers, kissing your neck and squeezing your ass.
“Holy shit, no, don’t stop” you plead, tangling your fingers in her red hair.
“Locker room?”
“Lead the way” you kiss her frantically, hoping no one sees you.
Once you arrive there, Natasha smiles and your heart stops for a second.
“Ready to scream my name?”
There’s warmth. And a nice pressure. Some tingling on your back. Like a soft touch.
You open your eyes in an unknown room, trying to remember where you are. As you turn around you find Natasha fast asleep, her arm around your middle.
“Nat?” you call for her, hoping no one walks in any time soon.
“Five more minutes” she mumbles against your skin.
“Nat, wake up” you plead.
As it turns out, she only reacts when Yelena kicks the door, walking in on you naked under the sheets.
“Happy finals day seestra—-ah! Naked”
“Yelena what is wrong?” to your horror, Melina joins her daughter. “Oh, you two lovebirds!”
“WHY DOESNT ANYONE KNOCK HERE” Natasha screams, putting the sheets above her head.
“Sorry”  Melina says, dragging away Yelena.
“Yeah, sorry” Yelena echoes, sounding anything but.
As you both get dressed, the memories of last night come back to you.
After your rendezvous -and almost getting caught by security- you decided it would be better to continue elsewhere. You blush as images of Natasha moaning, kissing and pleasuring you also come back.
“Hey” she approaches you as you walk to the door. “You ok? You look a little…”
“Flustered?” you say, trying to hide your blush.
“Well, yes. I’m sorry about them walking in”
“Last night was… amazing”
“Yeah?” she circles your waist with her hands and pulls you closer. “How amazing?”
“Like winning all Grand Slams in the same year kind of amazing” your hands go around her neck and you pull her for a kiss.
“Wow, that’s big talk” Natasha comments agains your lips. And as she’s about to kiss you, Fury walks in.
“Romanoff! What did I tell you about that cardio”
“For the love of God, knock!” Natasha says, defeated.
“Don’t worry, Fury, I promise she was laying down for the most part” you wink at the man.
“Stay for breakfast” Melina invites as she’s setting the suite’s table with all the room service.
“This has been sufficiently awkward, thank you. And I also imagine you have stuff to do”
“You need to stay hydrated. How much liquid did you lose?” Fury says, going around the kitchen like a headless chicken.
“Fury, I haven’t seen her this relaxed in months. My sister will be fine” Yelena comments.
“Are you coming to the game?”
“Of course. I’m on press duty”
“Come to the player’s box” Melina says.
“Would that be wise?” you ask and everyone shares a look. “What I mean is, we want to make Wanda think her plan worked, right? If she sees me there she’ll know we are on to her”
“I don’t care what she thinks. I want you there” Natasha takes your hand and you smile.
“Alright. I’ll be there. See you later” you kiss her cheek and smile.
“Byeee” Melina and Yelena say, and you realise that Natasha will have to deal with their questions.
Well, if she can deal with the press, she can deal with her family.
The day goes by in a blur, and as the match approaches, you feel more anxious. God, how does Natasha do this? If it were you with the world watching, you’d probably break down the minute you step into the court.
“Hello there” Yelena greets as you meet at the player’s entrance of Arthur Ashe.  “Ever been here?”
“Just once, with Bucky”
It’s hard to forget the luxurious facilities where players can get food, special gifts, some physio or workout before their matches.
“He won last year, right?”
“Yes” you smile at the memory. “How is Natasha doing?”
“She’s done with warmup, she had something light to eat and she seems ready. She’s also been smiling like an idiot all day, even if Fury kept her away from her phone”
“I want her to win, so whatever it takes” you smile at the blonde, and follow her to the lounge, where Natasha is waiting with Melina. The redhead smiles as soon as she spots you and you kiss her on the cheek.
“How do you feel?”
“Like a complete wreck”
“You got this. Remember she prefers short games, she also doesn’t like to volley or come close to the net. And people say her forehand is killer but she goes too far behind her back, so use it against her”
“Y/N?” she interrupts your rambling. “All of that is fine advice, but I already have Nick on my back 24/7”
“Right, sorry”
“You know what he doesn’t provide?”
“Hm?”
“Good luck kisses”
“That’s right, it’s above my paygrade” Fury says. “Say your goodbyes now”
Melina and Yelena hug her, Fury squeezes her shoulder and then they give you some space.
“Go win this thing” you say, leaning forward and kissing her softly.
Natasha leans her forehead against yours and smiles.
She’s ready.
Natasha comes out first, and the crowd goes wild.
Wanda is close behind her; you catch her staring at you, clearly shocked that you’re next to Nat’s family.
“Who’s losing focus now?” Yelena says with a cheerful voice and you can’t help but smile.
The game begins and it is very clear that Natasha is playing aggressively. She has an ace on every game and there are hardly any break points for Wanda. It’s been 30 minutes and the score is 5-2.
“She’s cooked,” Fury says, looking at Wanda. You shake your head.
“Maximoff has an insane record after losing the first set, you know that”
And in fact, she does lose the first set. As always, the crowd loves to cheer on the underdog, so they go wild when Wanda wins the first two games of the second set.
“Come on, Tasha” you scream, and she looks your way, smiling. In no time, they’re tied.
“What are the odds on a tiebreak?” Yelena asks.
“It can go either way” you sigh, confirming that it will happen as they reach 6-6.
Natasha is playing fast and hard, giving no time for Wanda to recover.
But as she serves for the match, Wanda challenges the call in the most disruptive way possible.
It was in, but since Nat stopped playing the point goes to Wanda.
“That’s bullshit” Yelena says under her breath and you nod.
Sure enough, Natasha zones out and goes from match point to losing the second set.
“Dear Lord” Fury says, trying to keep a neutral expression.
“Maximoff looks exhausted, Nick. Natasha is doing great. She didn’t give away the second set. She’ll do this”
The third set begins, the first four games a close call. Deuce is called when they’re tied at 2, and you know that whoever wins this point will end up winning the match.
Every time Wanda has an advantage, Natasha comes back and breaks. Even when the Sokovian is serving, it doesn’t stop Natasha from pulling her back to 40-40. The Russian is a wall, and Wanda seems to lose hope as time passes.
And then, it happens.
Wanda has a double fault that gives Natasha the advantage. Followed by a double fault that gives her a break.
“Yes” Fury claps, trying to keep it together.
As the score approaches 5, your heart beats faster. Once again, 5-2.
Natasha serving for the match.
An ace.
The crowd goes wild.
The second ball goes out of the court when Wanda hits it.
Then, a double fault.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
It’s 30-15 and then 30-30. All Natasha needs are two more points to win.
She searches for your face in the crowd and you smile, nodding.
“You’re going to win” you say and she smiles.
Another ace.
The screens show the “championship point” sign.
Wanda doesn’t make it easy for her. She’s like a wounded animal that has nothing to lose, so she runs, she answers every throw with a groan, she comes to the net.
But when Natasha does her signature dropshot, Wanda tries to run, reaches too late and the ball bounces one, two, three times.
“Game, set, match, Romanoff”
“Fuck, YEEES” Yelena screams, standing up and cheering.
It’s all a blur, Natasha falling to the ground and covering her face. Walking to the net to shake Wanda’s hand, and then  the umpire’s.
After, she walks among the crowd, trying to reach her box. Yelena is the first to jump, their mother hugging them both and crying.
Fury looks like he’s about to cry as Natasha hugs him. You’re certainly crying happy tears as you watch them.
And then, she walks past him and picks you up from the ground, kissing you in front of the entire stadium.
“Congrats, Nat” you say against her lips.
“I’ll be right back” she promises when the security guard asks her to come back for the ceremony.
“You owe me a question”
“Save it for the next championship” she says against your lips and you kiss again, in spite of the guard’s insistence and with the crowd cheering you on.
It’s been six more slam titles, two years of tours around the world.
Natasha still owes you a question.
You’re saving it for a time when you’re both ready, and you’ll ask her to marry you.
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